Seeking True Love Version 2
by Asahime Rikki
Summary: IMPORTANT NOTE INSIDE. YAOI. SasuNaru. Naruto loves Sakura and would do anything for her. But he never knew the feelings a certain dark haired boy harboured for him, and the extents said boy would go to ensure Naruto's happiness.
1. Chapter 1

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

Summary : (SasuNaru)YAOI. Previously named 'Love Triangle' but has been renamed to suit the story better. Set a few years after the whole Orochimaru ordeal. Naruto had always loved Sakura and would do anything for her. But he could never know the feelings a certain dark haired boy harboured for him, and the extents the said boy would go to for Naruto's happiness. Even if it meant getting Sakura and Naruto together, and ultimately sacrificing his own happiness.

A/N - Warning. This story will eventually have YAOI. So if anyone is uncomfortable with that, DON'T READ further. This story will be a Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke love triangle and takes place a few years after the whole Orochimaru thing. I have the plot all planned out. It's good, trust me, so give this fic a try!

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Chapter 1

The morning mist had barely lifted. Rays of sunlight shone across the land as the sun peeked out from beneath the early clouds. The crickets had only just retired from their nightly 'song' as the buzzing rhythm that had filled the night slowly died away. The sound of a rooster crowing at a small farm near the outskirts signaled the arrival of a new day in the village of Konoha.

Early as it was, the village was already full of activity. The shopkeepers had been up since dawn getting ready for their customers as the villagers had a habit of waking up in the early hours of a morning to do their daily shopping. This held true for almost all the villagers as the streets were already crowded with people of all age, shapes and sizes. The same also goes for a certain blonde who was currently deep in a forest at the outskirts of the village.

Naruto panted as a bead of sweat traveled down the side of his face, from the tips of his blonde hair, all the way down the expanse of his smooth and tanned skin, to the whisker marks on his cheeks. Naruto had certainly grown since the days that he had first started off as a genin. He was no longer a tiny squirt with too much energy. He had now grown into a seventeen year old and was now a chuunin in his village. He was slightly taller now but was still at an abysmal height for a male of his age. Nevertheless, he had a cute, boyish face with eyes a sparkling blue colour. His cheeks still held the whisker marks as if serving as a reminder that the Nine-Tails Fox Demon was confined within his body. His skin was slightly tanned brown due to his job as a shinobi. Naruto now adorned an orange and black attire similar to his favourite orange jumper which showed off his slightly muscled and lean figure nicely. And not to forget, around his forehead was the Konoha village forehead protector. It was his most treasured possession due to many reasons. The forehead protector was proof that he had successfully graduated from the academy and became a Konoha ninja. It was also the forehead protector that Iruka-sensei had given to him as a sign of acknowledgement. Iruka-sensei was the first ever person to acknowledge him and this had made Iruka a very special person to Naruto. His forehead protector had been given to him by Iruka-sensei the night that he had acknowledged Naruto and he prized it more than anything else. He was never seen without it since.

The morning sunlight crept upon his frame, causing his blonde hair to glow an unnatural golden and his sweat glisten, as his face screwed up in concentration. Here was the place in which he usually trained and it was here that he spent most of his time when he wasn't on missions, today included.

After a few moments of pause, he gave out a fearsome cry as he launched himself onto the worn-out pole he had been using to train on. With an almighty kick, the battered pole finally gave out as it snapped into half, the broken piece landing with a loud 'clunk' ten feet away. Seeing this, Naruto jumped up in victory.

"Yatta! I am the greatest!" he yelled out for the forest to hear. With a huge grin on his face he struck a pose very much like Gai-sensei's thumbs-up pose before turning around and making his way back to the village.

"Whew! I'm beat!" he said just as his stomach let out a loud rumble. Hearing the offending sound, he stared at his own tummy.

"Uhh… hungry...!" Naruto stated the obvious, clutching his stomach. After several moments of contemplation, he made a decision. "I know! I'll have some ramen at Ichiraku's!"

He then abruptly picked up his pace as he quickly made his way to his favourite place in the village.

**

* * *

**

The village was buzzing with activity when Naruto had arrived in the middle of town just a few minutes after the sun had properly come up. The streets were busy and Naruto had to carefully maneuver his way around the crowd to avoid knocking into anybody. Not that this was a big problem to begin with since most of the villagers chose to avoid him as well.

Catching a few glances of people who were looking at him with dislike, Naruto chose to stare at the ground as he walked. All his life, he had been shunned by the people of the village. Seventeen years ago, an evil and powerful being known as the Nine-Tails Fox Demon (Kyuubi) had attacked the village of Konoha. On the night of the attack, many villagers had died. Commoners and ninjas alike. In order to stop the Kyuubi, the Fourth Hokage had given up his life to seal the Kyuubi inside a child who's umbilical cord had just been cut ; Naruto. Due to this incident, many saw him as the incarnate of the Kyuubi. Most villagers held a grudge and saw him as the Kyuubi itself. They hated Naruto and kept their distance from him. This had caused the innocent blonde to be cast aside from the rest of the villagers and he had to endure hateful looks and remarks all throughout his life. Naruto had felt lonely without any friends or family. He had always been alone without the love and care that the other children had. Iruka-sensei was the one who had pulled him out of the dark place which was his world. He had been given hope. And from there, ever since he had become a shinobi, the blonde haired boy had met many people and had been through a lot. He had found friends. Although the villagers still did not trust him and hated him all the same, life had become endurable for Naruto. He had friends. He had people whom he cared for, and people who cared for him in return, and that was enough. He was happier than he'd ever been in his life.

"Yeah…… life is definitely better this way….." he whispered under his breath, lost in thought.

'_Life is definitely better…. now that I'm not alone anymore……'_

Feeling cheerful, the blonde arrived at his favourite ramen place and quickly set himself down on one of the stall's seats.

"One Beef Ramen, please!" Naruto ordered.

"Hai! One Beef Ramen coming up!" the ramen-ojiisan replied.

The ramen arrived a few minutes later and Naruto quickly indulged himself in his favourite food as the ojiisan left him alone to eat in peace.

"Mmmmmm… the ramen is great today as usual!" he exclaimed to himself happily.

"Ohayo, Naruto." Naruto, surprised at the sound of somebody speaking somewhere behind him, almost choked. He turned around to look at the person whom had just greeted him and immediately brightened up.

"Sakura-chan! Ohayo! What are you doing here so early in the morning?" he said, waving a hand in welcome.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought I'd go for a walk this morning since the weather's beautiful," Sakura answered as she took a seat beside Naruto at the ramen stall. "So! What have you been up to?"

Naruto blinked. Then grinned, holding up his ramen bowl. "Ramen, of course!" he laughed. "Heh, I was just getting myself some breakfast after tiring myself out from training. You have no idea how great ramen tastes after a morning's hard work!"

Sakura just smiled.

'_She looks so beautiful when she smiles…' _The thought crossed fleetingly in the blond's mind, a feeling of longing and tenderness rising deep in his heart.

Naruto let his eyes wander over Sakura. He still hadn't gotten over his crush for her. In fact, his feelings for the pink haired kunoichi seemed to have grown over the years. He had had a crush on her ever since they were kids. Although his feelings were never reciprocated up to this day, Naruto still held her in a special place in his heart.

She had changed a lot since her genin days. Haruno Sakura, now a seventeen year old chuunin, had grown up into a beautiful young woman. Her eyes were still that startlingly green colour. Her short pink hair had grown slightly and stylishly cropped at a length just around her shoulders, the soft pink strands framing her face. She wore the forehead protector on her head where it served as a replacement for a ribbon she used to wear as a kid. She had lost the round, chubby cheeks she used to have and her features now held a matured look over them. She had a rather attractive body too, with curves at just all the right places. Her choice of attire was a red sleeveless blouse, coupled with a white skirt and black tights underneath. She wore a pair of black boots as her footwear. All in all, Sakura was truly a sight to behold, a far cry from the girl whose friends had teased her for having a wide forehead.

As Naruto's trained eyes roamed over Sakura (he spent too much time girl-peeking while on training with the Ero-sennin), he didn't notice the kunoichi's eyebrows twitch in annoyance at his unabashed staring.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT YOU HENTAI!" she shouted suddenly causing Naruto to jump in his seat. He blushed as he realized then that he had been staring at her. He smiled sheepishly and muttered an apology before turning away from her. Despite the physical changes in Sakura, she still had an incredibly short temper which was now even more dangerous as she had acquired enormous strength due to her training with Tsunade-sama, the Fifth Hokage. Sakura was definitely _not_ a person to pick a fight with.

'_Heh, well… some things never change, do they?' _Naruto thought.

They then sat in companionable silence for a few moments as Naruto finished up his food. Just as Naruto finished, Sakura spoke again.

"Oh yeah… Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been wanting to ask you something…" she said slowly, her expression one of seriousness. At this words, Naruto's ears perked up in curiousity. He set his now empty bowl of ramen on the table silently.

"…what is it?"

Sakura paused for awhile, lost in her own train of thought. She turned to look at Naruto, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. They shared eye contact for a few moments.

'_What's up with Sakura-chan_?' Naruto wondered to himself. He could see the hesitation in Sakura's eyes… along with another emotion which he couldn't read, and he couldn't help himself from feeling worried over whatever it was that Sakura wanted to tell him… The hidden emotions behind Sakura's eyes just didn't bode well with him somehow.

After a few moments, where Sakura seemed to do some serious thinking over whereas Naruto worried himself sick, Sakura finally let out a long sigh.

"Never mind. Forget it, Naruto…" And with that, she turned away.

"…" Naruto blinked. Then he blinked again. "What? What do you mean 'forget it'? You can't just leave me hanging like that!" he cried out in dismay.

"It's… nothing. It's stupid anyway. I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place. Don't worry about it." She stubbornly continued to avoid his gaze.

But Naruto seemed to think that this WAS something to worry about. He stared at her turned head incredulously.

"Uso! There's something wrong, I know it! You can talk to me about it, you know."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched for the second time that morning. Always a danger sign. She turned back to glare at the blond haired boy.

"I said it was nothing! Just forget about it already, okay?" she snapped, losing her temper.

Naruto kept silent. He knew better than to object to her wishes when she started to rage. Frowning slightly, he looked away from her angry gaze, unwilling to see the glare aimed towards him.

'_I don't want to see it. It's okay if the whole village does it. But not you, Sakura-chan, not you. I don't ever want to see the anger in your eyes. I don't want you to hate me. Please, don't hate me. Don't look at me with hate in your eyes…'_

After a few moments, Sakura's anger seemed to die down. She blushed, embarrassed and feeling guilty of her own actions. She slumped slightly in her seat.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. Gomen," she said in almost a whisper.

"…It's alright."

'_It's alright, Sakura-chan. It really is. As long as you're not angry with me. As long as you don't hate me. I don't want you to ever hate me…'_

Once again they fell into silence. After a few minutes, once again it was Sakura who broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Kakashi-sensei asked us to meet up with him at our usual training place later today at about four. He said it was something about a new mission so we've gotta meet him about it. And… Sasuke-kun will be there too…"

Naruto noticed that her voice seemed to fade at the mention of the dark haired boy and there was a flicker of that same unreadable emotion in her eyes that she had had earlier. Even the aura around her seemed to be emanating negative vibes at the mention of the boy. Suspicions started to form in his head. Could this be related to Sasuke? Taking note of this, he nodded to show that he'd heard her. Sakura just smiled slightly in response before speaking again.

"Well. I… I guess I'd better be off then. Need to do some research at home for Tsunade-sama…"

Naruto nodded again. "Sure. You'd better go then."

Sakura then got up as she prepared to leave the ramen stall.

"Hai. I'll see you later then, Naruto." She then turned and walked away in the direction of her house.

Naruto just stared at the back of the pink haired girl until she was out of sight. There was something not right about Sakura-chan today and he didn't like it. He didn't like to see her troubled. It made him feel like helping her, protecting her. Taking her away from all the troubles that were harming her in any way at all.

Naruto frowned as he lost himself in thought. What could be troubling Sakura so? And did this have something to do with Sasuke? She did seem a bit funny when the Uchiha was mentioned. What were those unreadable emotions that he had seen hidden behind her eyes? Somehow, he thought that the emotions that were flickering in Sakura's eyes earlier were something akin to sadness… and pain. He knew it well, because he himself had been a victim of those feelings most of his life. But why in the world would Sakura be in pain…? Could it be…? A vision of a dark haired boy entered his mind. Sasuke. His teammate. His rival. His best friend. Was all this because of Sasuke? What happened? Had he done something to Sakura?

Naruto felt himself getting angry at the other boy. Then the anger dissipated just as quickly as it came.

'_Calm down. I'm letting my imaginations run wild. I can't be too sure just yet. I don't even know what really happened. Maybe this hasn't got anything to do with him at all. After all, I don't think Sasuke would ever do anything to hurt Sakura-chan." _

Yes. Naruto was confident about that. Sasuke, his teammate, his rival, his best friend, was a cold bastard. But he really wasn't all THAT bad… Considering the things they've all been through together, trust was one of the things that had been built between them and all of their friends in Konoha. He couldn't go jumping to conclusions so quickly now, can he? Sakura's condition might be totally unrelated after all, he didn't know. And so, he had to find out more. After a few moments more thinking, the blond boy finally decided that he _should_ find out more first before jumping to conclusions.

'_I'll see what I can do during that meeting with Kakashi-sensei today. I swear I'll get to the bottom of this soon!'_

And with that vow, he got up and left the ramen stall.

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 02/03/06 – 2 am**

A/N – Second chapter here! Oh yeah, before I forget, all sentences in italic are thoughts within the character's own mind. I forgot to note that in the 1st chapter as well. Sorry! I hope this clears things up a bit! Oh, and thank you starry096 for reviewing! I appreciate it!

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Chapter 2

The hot sun was still blazing in the sky as the afternoon weather burned with heat and humidity. A gust of wind blew every once in awhile, causing the trees in the forest to sway and rustle its leaves. The forests' inhabitants, the animals, can be seen washing themselves in the river to cool themselves from the extreme heat. It was truly a hot day in Konoha.

At the spot where Team 7 usually trained, the weather was no better. The empty piece of land, made up of only three poles for training purposes was even hotter without the shelter of the surrounding trees. And it was here where the meeting that a certain jounin had arranged for Team 7 was supposed to commence at four o' clock.

Uchiha Sasuke was currently standing under the shelter of one of the tallest trees in the vicinity as he waited for the arrival of his teammates. He had been told earlier that morning by Kakashi-sensei that there was a meeting there regarding their latest mission. So here he was, patiently awaiting for the arrival of the rest of his team as he took the time to breathe in his own personal space, as he rested with his back on the tree.

The seventeen-year-old boy was tall and lean. He had beautiful, dark eyes which always held an uninterested look about them but burned with intensity whenever he faced his enemies. His hair was a dark raven colour, the soft bangs framing his face whilst a small part of his hair stuck up at the back. He had a very fair and smooth complexion which caused his skin to glow in a translucent hue even in the darkest of places, like an angel in disguise. His outfit consisted only of a plain, black shirt and a pair of short black pants, which contrasted greatly with his pale skin. And as always, his shirt bore the Uchiha's family crest on the back. It was the official mark of the Uchiha clan which was famous for its advanced bloodline, the Sharingan. And lastly, on his forehead, was the Konoha forehead protector.

Sasuke raised his hand and gently touched his forehead protector. He felt the cool metal beneath his fingers as he felt the outline of the Konoha symbol on the middle part of the forehead protector. He reminisced as the hot breeze of the afternoon ruffled his hair and clothes.

A few years back, Sasuke had made a terrible mistake. He had betrayed Konoha by following the evil fiend, Orochimaru, who was a traitor to Konoha village. Orochimaru had created forbidden jutsus, which included using human sacrifices, causing him to be exiled from the village. Casting his responsibilities as a Konoha shinobi away, Sasuke had chosen his own selfish reasons over the village. He had been too caught up, too reckless in his quest of trying to fulfill his revenge. He had wanted to gain the ultimate power, the power he had then believed would have enabled him to carry out his revenge, and defeat the man that had taken everything away from him… his brother, Uchiha Itachi. A being with the infinite power whom even Orochimaru was afraid of…

It was only 2 years ago that Naruto had managed to pull Sasuke back out of the darkness that surrounded him. Naruto had fought hard and forcibly taken him out of the evil that was devouring him from within. Naruto had saved him… And he was very thankful for that. He was given the chance to live again. If it hadn't been for Naruto, he would have died. If it hadn't been for Naruto, his existence would have disappeared. If Naruto had even been a bit later in rescuing him, Sasuke wouldn't be here right now and Orochimaru would have possessed his body, and his Sharingan along with it. He was truly grateful that he was allowed a chance at his life again. However, deep inside… he knew that there were some things that once done, could never be forgotten. And it was something he felt guilt for, and regretted it.

The people of Konoha had been kind to him. They had forgiven him and didn't blame him for his faults but instead, welcomed him back with open arms. Sure, there were some who couldn't accept him back so easily, but they too were now eventually learning to trust him again. The Fifth Hokage however, couldn't let this issue go so easily. As the highest ranked person in the village, it was her duty to uphold the justice in the system. She had a reputation to live up to and it would be most unfair for Sasuke to get off the hook so easily. She _had_ to take action against his act of betrayal or it would mean a great disrespect to the village of Konoha and all of its ninjas. Therefore, she along with the Elder's Council, had agreed that it was absolutely necessary that some form of punishment was taken for redemption on Sasuke's part and a meeting had commenced.

After many hours of long discussions with the elders of the village, the Fifth Hokage had finally decided on a punishment for him. He was suspended from going on important missions and was reduced to taking the lower ranking missions for a period of time. He was also suspended from going on solo missions. They felt it was unsafe to leave him wandering alone on missions so soon after his betrayal. During missions, he was to be monitored by either a chuunin or a jounin as he carried them out. Moreover, he was not allowed to leave the village at all costs unless it was for a mission and even so, he was to be guarded by at least a jounin. Sasuke had been constantly watched to ensure that he didn't leave the way he did a few years back. Even the elders had felt a need to monitor him personally, and often called him for special meetings at the Hokage's office, and this carried on even until now.

The punishments had been going on for quite some time, even up till now. Sasuke was only just recently allowed to take part in the more important or solo missions himself as the elders saw it fit to slowly lift his punishments in stages. They had started allowing him to go on C or D ranking missions by himself. Slowly at first, but the missions in which they allowed him to perform alone were steadily increasing as the days went by. It seemed that Konoha was slowly allowing him their trust again. However, there was still a condition. If Sasuke was ever found to have betrayed Konoha again or to have done anything which is against the village's orders, he would automatically be exiled from the village. There would be no second chance anymore and there was nothing that could be said against it.

Although Sasuke had suffered the consequences, he never once lamented about his punishment. Personally, he had felt that he deserved every bit of it. In fact, he thought that the punishments were considerably light. The kindness of the Konoha villagers had deeply touched Sasuke. They had allowed him the chance that he needed. He had then admitted his regret over his serious mistake and vowed to never betray or to go against Konoha in any way ever again. He had sworn upon himself then that he will serve Konoha with his life. He would never break the condition that Konoha had set for him. He didn't want to be exiled. He would stay faithful to Konoha and its orders no matter what. Now, Sasuke was a chuunin ranked shinobi in the village and had since never gone back on his vow.

A sudden gust of wind blew roughly over the training grounds and immediately brought Sasuke back to his senses as he remembered his reason for being here in the first place. It was still a quarter to four, but he had been here as early as half past three. His reason for being so early was due to the fact that he needed the time and peace to think. He liked to do that once in awhile. When one has been through so much in life as he did, they would understand his need to just be alone once in awhile and to just… think. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. As the last of his reminiscent memories faded away, a very different emotion started to rise up in the Uchiha's chest. Memories of last night that he had tried so hard not to think about all day today floated unwillingly into his mind.

Last night, Sakura had visited him at his residence at the Uchiha manor. She had said that she had wanted to talk to him about something. He had been reluctant about it at first and was in the midst of declining her invitation when he had noticed her expression. There was an expression on her face that he couldn't read. Her eyes which used to channel her emotions like an open book were closed to him the night before. There had been something off about the pink haired shinobi. His inability to read her emotions at that time had caused him to agree to go out with her.

He frowned as he remembered the events that had taken place on their 'date' after that. It couldn't exactly be called a date as they had spent most of it in silence. This had also further fueled Sasuke's suspicions that something was seriously wrong as Sakura was usually chattering away about something or another. This change of characteristic had not gone unnoticed by the dark haired boy.

They had had dinner first at a small café in town. Sakura didn't eat much and was constantly staring off in space, lost in her own little world. Sasuke had felt increasingly worried, seeing his friend so troubled. Yes, he considered Sakura a friend. Sure, he had said time and time again that she was annoying, but even then, she had continued to care for him. She was always there for him and never once did her loyalty to him waver even throughout the Orochimaru ordeal. And Sasuke appreciated that. He had grown to care for her too during the past 2 years, but only as a close friend.

After dinner, they had taken a walk around town. They had once again spent most of it in companionable silence. After awhile, they had ended up at a certain location near the edge of the village. It was there when Sakura had stopped dead in her tracks as if she had been planning to come to this place all along. It was the very spot that seemed fated just for them. It was the spot beside the bench, the spot that Sakura had tried to stop Sasuke from joining Orochimaru many years ago. And it was here that Sasuke had finally found out what was troubling Sakura so much… Sasuke let out another sigh as he recalled the scene that had taken place at that particular place the night before…

'_No. I don't want to think about it right now…'_

The dark haired boy then looked up, once more forcibly locking his troubled thoughts right at the back of his mind. He stared around at his surroundings and briefly wondered how long more he needed to wait before his friends arrived. It should be around four by now but none of his teammates seemed to be here yet. He concluded on waiting a little while longer.

As time slowly crawled by, Sasuke stated to frown. They were _definitely_ late by now. It had to be past four already but… where were they? Sasuke had long since gotten used to Kakashi-sensei's habit of arriving late, but it seemed rather unusual for Naruto and Sakura to be late as well! Sasuke folded his arms across his chest as a flicker of worry and annoyance crossed his face.

"_What's taking them so long…?"_

Just as Sasuke was contemplating on whether or not he should just return to the village to look for them, he heard the sound of a slight rustle of leaves brushing against fabric somewhere above him. He turned his head upwards to identify the person who had just arrived. Up on a tree branch, Sasuke saw blond hair, blue eyes and a lot of orange. Naruto.

Naruto was panting heavily, as if he had been running for miles, which he probably had been doing, his body bended forwards and hands on his sides. Sasuke allowed the blonde to rest for awhile before he decided to speak up.

"You're late," the dark haired boy stated the obvious, his eyes narrowed.

"Ah, sorry about that!" Naruto wheezed out as he tried to catch his breath. "I was training real hard this morning so I guess I got kinda worn out, so, after having breakfast, I took a nap! And, uh… I guess I overslept. Heh…"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly as he explained his reason for being late, a light blush coloring his cheeks out of embarrassment. Unbeknownst to the blond, the dark haired boy was staring up at him with an expression of well-hidden fondness. That's right. _Fondness_. An emotion well-hidden from everyone else, but it was the truth. Uchiha Sasuke was secretly in love with Uzumaki Naruto, and had been for quite awhile now…

"_Naruto looks so cute with that silly grin…." _the Uchiha thought quietly in his own mind.

Naruto then looked up. He looked to his left, his right and all over the forest. He seemed to have just noticed that there were only the two of them there. The other half of Team 7 was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Sasuke…where's Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered shrugging nonchalantly. "They're not here yet."

"That's weird… Sakura-chan is never late." Naruto frowned. Sasuke just kept silent.

"_I know, Naruto. I don't know why either. Unless…" _

Memories of the night before started to flash across his vision. Sasuke froze on his spot underneath the tree.

"_No… it CAN'T be because of last night... can it? She wouldn't do anything stupid… would she?" _

Sasuke tried uncertainly to convince himself that Sakura's lateness was due to other reasons as he felt panic and worry starting to rise rapidly in within him. Perhaps something has happened to her? Because of last night? His worries started to increase. No, there could be many other reasons for Sakura being late. Many perfectly _normal_ reasons. He shouldn't get too uptight… not yet… But still, Sakura _had_ been acting weird last night…

As Sasuke debated silently in his mind, he hadn't noticed that the blonde had been observing him and his reactions. Naruto had been watching the taller boy from on top of the tree branch as he thought, keeping an eye out on his facial expressions for clues as to what was bothering Sakura. The blonde had sworn to figure out what was going on, and he planned to keep his word. Since Sasuke seemed to know something about it or perhaps he _was_ involved after all judging by the expression on his face, so it seemed like the best place for Naruto to begin the investigation with. After a brief pause, Naruto decided to go for the direct method and spoke out loud.

"Sasuke…" Naruto called.

Sasuke looked up, distracted from his thoughts. However, he was surprised to see the look of utmost seriousness on Naruto's face. He immediately stood straighter, more alert. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked in that cold, drawling voice that made him sound disinterested when really, he actually was.

There was another pause, in which Naruto had a thoughtful expression on his face. Jumping down from the tree, he landed right beside Sasuke and turned to look at the dark haired boy directly, their eyes meeting.

"Do you know what's wrong with Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke's body tensed. Looking straight into Naruto's eyes, Sasuke felt captured. He was captivated in those blue depths which were Naruto's eyes. He was drowning… drowning in the eyes of the blond haired boy, the boy who had caught his interest, the boy who had grown to be more than a friend to Sasuke…

"Sasuke?"

Regaining his senses, Sasuke diverted his eyes away, fighting a blush that was threatening to spread on his face in embarrassment. His heartbeat quickened as he fought for control, his eyes roaming everywhere except on Naruto.

'I don't know," the Uchiha answered a little too quickly.

"You don't know what's wrong with Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke shook his head again to reaffirm his answer. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Sasuke, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"I don't believe you," the blond finally stated.

"What do you mean you don't believe me?"

"You're lying. I can tell. There's something that you're hiding from me," Naruto said, his already narrowed eyes glinting dangerously as if to dare Sasuke to keep anything away from him.

"I'm not hiding anything from you. Don't be stupid, you dobe," Sasuke said calmly although internally, there was turmoil in him.

"Shut up!" Naruto said in annoyance, glaring at the Uchiha but not really caring much. The dobe comment didn't have as much effect as it used to have. He had long since gotten used to it. He stared straight at Sasuke, not backing up in the lightest. "If you know what's wrong, you could tell me, you know."

Sasuke said nothing. It was true though. Lately, he and Naruto had been having heart-to-heart talks with increasing frequency and it was a normal thing for Sasuke to share things like this with the blond. The many obstacles that they have been through had strengthened their friendship more than ever and somehow, over the course of the past two years, they had developed a unique trust between them. Neither of them were the type whom opened up and talked about their feelings to another person, yet through some sort of fate, they felt that they could relate their problems and feelings with each other.

It was then that both Sasuke and Naruto had established this funny relationship with each other. When things became too much, they enjoyed the other's company, and were grateful for it. However, this significant change did nothing to alter the way they interacted with each other daily. An ignorant person may not have seen the difference of their relationship now compared to their genin days, but to people close to them, their relationship had definitely evolved and formed a special bond between them. Still, it didn't mean that things were always so smooth. Fights and arguments were still a common thing between them. And at the moment, it seemed that a fight was quickly brewing.

"Sasuke, you're not listening to me!" Naruto said again, breaking into Sasuke's musings. The Uchiha could tell that the blond was becoming impatient. It won't take long now for Naruto to get furious and things would start going downhill from there. But Sasuke was adamant. This was something he _really_ did not want to discuss with Naruto and he refused to give in.

"I've said it already, and I will say it again," Sasuke began, returning the glare Naruto was giving him now. "I'm not hiding anything from you. Stop being such an idiot."

Infuriated, Naruto gritted his teeth. He tried searching the Uchiha's facial expression to detect if he was indeed lying or not. He managed to catch a glimpse of discomfort hidden behind the dark eyes before those very eyes were abruptly turned away, as if in guilt. This served to further ascertain his suspicions.

"No, you're definitely hiding something from me!" Naruto insisted, his irritation mounting. "What's your problem? What is it you're trying to keep from me?"

Sasuke clutched his fists, annoyed at himself. He had not been able to look Naruto straight in the eye earlier for fear of being found out. But it looked like Naruto was able to find out anyway. Under pressure, he snapped at the blond irritably.

"Stop it, Naruto! Just leave me alone!" he said, feeling miserable but hid it well. Why did Naruto have to make things hard for him? Couldn't Naruto see that he really didn't want to talk about it? Was what happened with Sakura really that much more important than how uncomfortable he was feeling to Naruto? Somehow, that thought was depressing.

Sasuke felt his emotions starting to rise up in within him and quickly suppressed them, once again hiding his true feelings successfully from the blond, and from everyone else at that. Naruto, not one to give up easily, was just about to make another biting remark at Sasuke when he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

The sound came from somewhere behind the trees, just beyond view. The footsteps drew nearer and nearer as the unidentified person came closer. The two boys stood still, their conversation interrupted for the moment. Finally, the person whose footsteps belonged to came forward and stood at the edge of the clearing, just between the two boys. It was Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! You're finally here!" Naruto exclaimed, immediately forgetting that he and Sasuke had been arguing just a moment ago.

The pink haired girl who had been staring at the ground looked up at the sound of Naruto's voice. Seeing Naruto, she gave him a small smile.

"Naruto…"she nodded in acknowledgement. Turning slowly, her eyes landed on the Uchiha heir. Her smile seemed to waver slightly. "Sasuke-kun…"

Seeing Sakura's weird reaction again, Naruto was reminded again of the problem at hand. He frowned as he watched Sasuke nod back in return to show that he'd heard Sakura's greeting. The fact that there was a look of relief on Sasuke's face when Sakura showed up despite him denying that he knew if anything was wrong with her further proved that Naruto's earlier suspicion about Sasuke knowing something, was right. Feeling more than a bit irritated now at his prolonged ignorance, Naruto opened his mouth and decided to question them both right then and there when a light 'poofing' sound interrupted him again. There was Kakashi-sensei, in his usual jounin outfit, up on top of the tree branch that Naruto had been standing on earlier. Naruto sighed in exasperation. For once, he wished that Kakashi-sensei was just a little bit later.

"Yo, sorry about that. Been waiting long?" Kakashi asked.

When nobody answered, Kakashi raised his eyebrow. Sensing something off about his three younger companions, he scanned the expression on each of their faces.

Naruto looked agitated, as usual. Perhaps he had had a fight with Sasuke again. Sasuke had his usual bored and unconcerned expression on his face but Kakashi wasn't fooled. He could tell that there was something bothering his dark haired student. Sakura however looked the most worrisome. Though she tried to hide it, the kunoichi seemed to be extremely troubled and looked uncomfortable being there. Most of all, there was something about her very being that didn't seem right that day. Call it the intuition of a mentor or even a shinobi's instincts, but he could feel that there was something wrong with his female student.

"_Hmmm…"_ Kakashi wondered in his mind. He was curious to know what had happened in between the three of his students but decided against asking.

"_They're old enough to handle their own personal problems. I don't want to be nosy. They'll have to deal with these things themselves or they'll never learn," _he thought to himself. Deciding this, he turned an oblivious eye to the mood emitted by his students and went straight to business.

"Well! As you all know, the reason I called all of you here is to discuss our latest mission. It's a C ranked mission."

Naruto immediately groaned, deciding to delay his quest to find out Sakura's problem till after the meeting. For now, the mission came first.

"What! A lousy C ranked mission! Why do we have to do such a small mission? That granny should know that we deserve a much higher ranked mission than that!"

Kakashi shook his head.

"Naruto, you shouldn't complain. Orders are orders. You have to do it. Anyway, for this mission, we will be traveling to the Hidden Village of Mist. Apparently, the customer wants us to retrieve something from there. The customer is an elderly man with no relatives left so he needs us shinobis to help him collect his belongings for him."

"Humph!" Naruto sulked. "This will be boring!"

"When will this mission take place?" Sasuke asked.

"We'll be going in two days time. So get ready by then."

All three of the younger ninjas nodded their heads in affirmation.

"Yosh! Then that's it for the meeting. See you all in two days." Kakashi turned to go but stopped midway. Slowly, he turned back to face them all, still perched on top of the tree branch. He paused for a moment in contemplation before finally speaking up.

"By the way, I can tell that you guys have some issues to resolve. So, try and fix it up before the mission, ok? Remember, teamwork is important!"

And with that, Kakashi gave them one final wave before disappearing once again, leaving the three younger shinobis alone once more.

Naruto glanced from Sakura to Sasuke and back to Sakura again as he debated on asking again now that the meeting was over. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, he was once again interrupted. This time by Sasuke.

"I'm going home," the brunette stated.

"Wait! I wanna know what's going on before any of you leaves here!" Naruto demanded at once, feeling suddenly very frustrated.

Both Sakura and Sasuke kept their silence. This went on for about 10 seconds until Naruto lost his patience.

"WELL?" he asked. "I _knew_ there was something wrong! You're not denying it anymore are you, Sasuke?"

Silence again. Naruto felt his temper rising. Just when he was about to start shouting again, Sasuke stood up straight.

"I'm leaving," he announced, completely ignoring Naruto's questioning.

"No! You're not going anywhere until I get an explanation!" Naruto pressed determinedly.

"There's nothing to explain!" Sasuke said, losing his temper as well.

"Liar!"

"Dobe!"

"Stop it!" Sakura suddenly shouted, interjecting herself in the argument.

The two boys turned to look at her. The pink haired girl had her brows furrowed as she stared at the both of them. For a moment, her expression was finally revealed for all to see. _Pain and sorrow. _But her pained expression disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Bewildered, Naruto started to question her again but was stopped midway.

"Stop it, Naruto. There's nothing for you to know. It doesn't have anything to do with you, so stop already. It's not any of your business."

Naruto froze. Sakura's words had stung. He felt hurt. All he'd wanted to do, was to help her… Naruto hung his head slightly as his body slumped, his eyes on the ground. Seeing this, Sasuke glared at Sakura. In her current worrisome condition, she didn't notice. He had felt worried again when he saw the pain in her eyes but that didn't mean she could just take it all out on Naruto.

"_How dare she say that to Naruto!" _he thought angrily, knowing that the kunoichi had hurt the blond with her words.

However, Sasuke kept silent despite the anger he felt. Fortunately, Sakura seemed to notice the damage that she had caused. She sighed.

"…I'm sorry, Naruto… I didn't mean it."

Hearing the apology, Naruto's ears perked up slightly. Lifting his head up, he saw the look on her face. Apologetic and somewhat sad. He couldn't bring himself to say no to her apology. But then again, when did he _ever_ say no to Sakura?

"…It's okay."

"_No matter what you do Sakura-chan, no matter how much you hurt me… It's always okay…." _

The look in Naruto's eyes during the exchange was not unnoticed by the dark haired boy. He felt a slight tug at his heart. Was that jealousy he felt? Silence set in once more for a few moments. Not wanting to stand around any longer, Sasuke announced his leave once more.

"…I'm going now…"

And with that, Sasuke disappeared into the forest. This time, Naruto didn't stop him and so he walked off, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.

**

* * *

**

"…I'm going now…"

Naruto just watched as Sasuke left. He didn't try to stop him this time. It was obvious that neither Sasuke nor Sakura wanted to discuss the matter then so there was just no point in forcing the Uchiha to stay anyway. Moreover, Sakura's outburst earlier had shaken his resolve to find out what her problem was. If finding out her problem caused her to get angry at him, then maybe he should just stick his nose out of things that wasn't his business, just like Sakura had said. So he just stood there, watching as the other boy left, his figure disappearing into the shelter of the trees.

When the Uchiha's signature chakra disappeared into the darkness of the trees, Naruto turned to Sakura. She seemed to have sunk back into her own thoughts. Her eyes had an empty look about them, giving off the feeling of misery and helplessness. Naruto started to feel frustrated again.

"_What was wrong with her? Why is she being so difficult? What IS going on?"_

"Sakura-chan…"

At the sound of her name, the pink haired girl slowly looked up. Her eyes slightly out of focus as she stared at Naruto. The blond shifted uncomfortably at the sight of the strange glaze in her eyes. He was fighting furiously within himself. He desperately wanted to help her but he couldn't do so if she wouldn't tell him what was wrong. On the other hand, if he tried to force her to speak, he would be risking her wrath… Deciding at that moment that he just _had_ to know what was wrong with her – even if it meant putting his life on the line - he plunged ahead and asked her again, practically pleading for her to speak up.

"Ano, Sakura-chan… Please… tell me what's wrong! I…I can't help you if you don't tell me anything… Please… let me help you…?"

Naruto practically begged, his eyes pleading. He really hated to see his friend so troubled. He really wanted to help and no matter how much he got scolded for being nosy, how much he got taken advantage of or even hated… he still wanted the best for them. More so when it involved Sakura… his childhood crush.

Sakura just stared back at the blond. She seemed to be thinking over the blond's reasoning. She sighed. Her thoughts were really messed up right now, she just couldn't think straight. She didn't know what to do, or what to even think about this whole issue. She contemplated it for awhile, before she finally decided that it was time to be honest. After all, Naruto had truly sounded sincere when he said he wanted to help her…

"… It's… really nothing, Naruto…" Sakura started.

Naruto was about to open his mouth to protest again when she continued.

"Last night, I… I went to see Sasuke…"

"_So it did have something to do with that bastard after all_," was the first thing that Naruto thought upon hearing this. Slightly disconcerted that Sakura had suddenly decided to open up after refusing so many times, he nodded as a sign that he was listening.

"Uh huh. What about it?" Naruto asked slowly, folding his arms in front of his chest, as he leaned his body against a tree trunk feeling slightly jealous. He tried to look nonchalant though, for fear that she would clamp up again if she saw his apprehension.

"_She never bothered to come visit me before… Sigh… This could take awhile… At least, she's opening up to me…" _Whatever it was, he was glad that Sakura was willing to speak up to him now. At least, she trusted him enough to let him into her problems. And he was grateful for that trust.

Sakura looked up, her eyes meeting Naruto's. It was then Naruto saw Sakura's true feelings once again. There was pain in her eyes… and misery. Her eyes were glazed over with unshed tears as her emotions were on full display. Seeing this, Naruto started towards Sakura but stopped when she held out a hand to stop him. She took a shaky breath and finally, she started to tell the truth of what happened the night before…

_-Flashback (What really happened last night)-_

The neighborhood was quiet as only the sound of light footsteps can be heard in the distance. The sun had only just set, but already the sky was a colour of dark, midnight blue. The street which was usually full of activity was empty, as most of the neighborhood's inhabitants were in their houses, having dinner.

Sakura walked through the neighborhood alone, her footsteps quick and light. Her training as a shinobi allowed her to move stealthily through the night, without her presence being known to anyone. She walked quickly as she hurried towards her destination. Her face had a glow about it. It was full of pure determination.

She walked faster and faster until… she finally reached the house that she was seeking. She stopped. The house was just a few steps away now. Catching her breath slightly, she breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as she remembered the reason she was here, her heart thumping faster…

"_Come on girl! You spend years getting ready for this moment and now you're telling me you're backing out?_" she scolded herself.

Strengthening her resolve, she braved herself to do what she was supposed to do here in the first place. Gripping her fists tightly at her sides, she took the last few steps to the front door of the house that she was heading to.

Finally, she was standing outside the huge house. The house was very big and stood out among the other houses on the street. This was of course, nothing to be surprised about, as this house belonged to one of the most prestigious families in Konoha, the Uchihas.

Standing outside the door, Sakura inhaled deeply, readying herself for what she was about to do. She felt a bit shaky and was shivering slightly from the chilly, night air. Her heartbeat now so quick, she felt suffocated.

"Well, this is it, I guess… I hope everything goes well… Here goes…" And with that, Sakura finally bit back her fears, and rang the doorbell to the Uchiha manor. She could hear the hollow ringing sound echoing throughout the whole house. Soon enough, she could hear footsteps from the other side of the door.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Her body started shaking violently and her mind became numb with fear. The footsteps were coming closer. She started to panic.

"_Oh no! What the hell am I doing? I must've been crazy to do this! He's coming! What to do? What to do? No, I have to do this! I've waited too long! But…NO! I can't!"_ all sorts of thoughts ran through Sakura's head. She didn't know what to do. As she was still panicking on her spot outside the door of the Uchiha's manor, the door finally opened, revealing the only survivor of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke.

"Ah, Sakura… It's you..." he said.

"H..hai, Sasuke-kun…" she stuttered before pausing.

Sasuke stared at her questioningly, waiting for her to state her reason for visiting him. There was something off about the pink haired girl tonight. Her body was shaking a little and her eyes were fixed on the ground. He waited for her to speak. When she didn't, he frowned slightly out of impatience and curiosity. He waited for awhile more and when she still didn't speak up, he decided to ask her first since she didn't seem ready to start talking anytime soon.

"So… what do you want? Is… anything wrong?"

Sakura looked up at the sound of the dark haired boy's voice.

"_Well, it's now or never."_ And with that, she finally started to speak.

"Ano… Sasuke-kun. I…I need to talk to you. Can you… can you go out with me for tonight?" she asked timidly.

Sasuke frowned upon hearing her request.

"_Is this another one of her attempts to go out on a date with me again?"_

"… Sakura…" he started, about to decline her invitation. Seeing this, Sakura quickly spoke up again.

"No! Sasuke-kun! This… this is really important! I… I really need to talk to you about something! Please… just this one time?"

Sasuke was not convinced. She _did_ seem rather desperate, but that was still no reason for him to go out with her. The Uchiha wasn't someone to be easily pushed around.

"Sakura… I don't feel like going out tonight. I'm sorry." Normally the stoic boy won't apologize for anything in the world but this was Sakura. And Sakura was a special case. She was one of his closest friends, and also one of the most important people to him. He never wanted to hurt her, but he could never reciprocate her feelings. _"Not as long as there is… him…"_

Sakura looked beyond disappointed. Her face crumpled slightly and her body shook even more violently than before. But most of all, her eyes shone with an unreadable expression.

"S…S…Sou …ka…" she said, her voice shaking as well.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. Normally, she would take his rejection better. She would _still_ be disappointed, but she never acted this way before. Today, she seemed utterly devastated with her whole body trembling and that wild, unreadable look on her face. He felt worried seeing her like this and his inability to read the emotions that were flickering in her eyes was further increasing his worries.

"I… It's o…o …kay… Sa… Sa … Sasuke-kun," she stuttered out. "I… I'm so…sorry to… have bothered you… I… I'll go now…"

Sakura felt disappointed. She felt _beyond_ disappointed. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. A huge amount of pressure was pressing onto her, suffocating her, rendering her unable to speak articulately. She couldn't help it. When Sasuke had declined to go out with her, she felt the huge weight in her heart press down on her. She just couldn't handle the disappointment. She had been rejected so many times… and every time, she just held in her feelings of disappointment… until now. It was all just too much…

"_Why? Why won't he even give me a chance? Why won't he even let me talk to him? Am I that unimportant to him…?" _

Sakura turned to walk away. She had only taken two steps heading back out of the Uchiha's territory when she was stopped by a soft voice.

"… Wait." The smooth sound of the dark haired boy's voice caused Sakura to freeze on the spot. Slowly, the seventeen year old female chuunin, turned her head back, her brilliant green eyes meeting dark ones. She barely dared to breathe.

"I'll go out with you," Sasuke stated.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she whirled around to face him.

"You… you will?" she asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes. Give me a minute." With that Sasuke went back inside to get ready, probably to get dressed properly rather than home clothes, and to grab his wallet. Sakura just stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe it.

"_Maybe… Just maybe… there's still hope…" _she thought to herself.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in a small café. Their food had arrived and Sasuke was graciously enjoying the meal that he'd ordered. In his opinion, the food here was pretty good. He looked up at his companion. Sakura had barely touched her food. She had been silent ever since leaving his house, only speaking when she ordered her food. Sasuke frowned for the tenth time that night. Something was _definitely_ troubling his friend. He'd never seen her acting this weird before. She was unfocused and constantly lost in her own thoughts. And she didn't seem ready to explain to him what was wrong or what she had wanted to talk to him about in the first place anytime soon. Sasuke sighed.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he questioned her, gesturing towards her bowl of noodles.

Sakura seemed to start a bit, as if surprised to see him there.

"Oh… um… yeah…" she picked up her chopsticks and started to fiddle with her noodles. Within moments, she had sunken back into the depths of her mind.

Sasuke sighed again. He looked at his friend and also teammate worriedly.

"_This is gonna be a long night." _He took one last worried look at Sakura before turning back to his meal.

It was late at night at around ten o'clock when they had finally finished their dinner. Earlier on, Sasuke had spent another good thirty minutes waiting for Sakura to finish her own food after he'd finished his, only to hear her say that she didn't feel hungry and she couldn't finish it. They had then left the café with Sasuke a little irritated at Sakura's behaviour.

After that, Sakura had said that she wanted to take a walk around Konoha. Since Sakura still hadn't gotten around to telling him what was wrong, he had no choice but to follow her.

They had been walking for quite some time now and Sakura still hadn't told Sasuke what was it that she had wanted to talk to him about. Sasuke's patience was slowly wearing thin. He had spent most of the night accompanying her and he was starting to have doubts about this whole 'date'. Perhaps it was all just a trick to get him to go out on a date with her! But that couldn't be right. If that _was_ what she was trying to do, she doesn't seem to be enjoying herself much and was completely ignoring him. Which brought him back to the same question. What the hell was wrong with her?

He took a look at the girl beside him as they walked down the dark, empty street. She had her eyes on the ground, her pink hair covering her face as she walked on steadily. Sasuke sighed as he kept up with her pace, hands in his pockets, not knowing where she intended to go next. He resigned himself to his fate of accompanying his friend the whole night.

They continued walking for quite some time in comfortable silence. Sasuke hadn't noticed that they had approached the edge of the village as they continued to walk on. Soon, he realized that the pink haired girl was slowing down and came to a stop. He too halted his footsteps. It was then that he realized that they had arrived to a very familiar spot. This spot held many memories for the both of them. It was a place where their destinies were tied. Many things had happened here before, and every time the both of them met at this particular spot, a part of their lives were changed.

The first time was on the day they were selected to be in Team 7 and had become teammates. That day was the day that Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had graduated from the academy and had their fates bound together when they were assigned in the same team. Naruto had been messing around, making a fool out of himself when he had used the 'Henge no Jutsu' to transform into Sasuke. At that time, it was at this very place when Sakura had made a bad start with the dark haired boy by insulting Naruto who had no parents. This was a very bad mistake on Sakura's part indeed as Sasuke had turned to her then and bitingly remarked that she didn't know anything about what it feels like to be an orphan before telling her that she was annoying. It was at this spot at that time that marked the beginning of Team 7. The start of a wonderful but difficult journey for Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura to become shinobis as they experience the ups and downs of life, relationships and many such.

The second time was when Sasuke had left Konoha to join Orochimaru. Sakura had met him coincidentally at this spot as he was making his way out of the village. It was on that night, at this very place too, that Sakura had confessed her feelings to Sasuke for the very first time. She had been rejected at that time as Sasuke had chosen revenge over his own friends and the people of Konoha. She had failed to stop the boy that she held dear from going to Orochimaru, the traitor, and that had resulted in Sasuke going over to the dark side for the following few years. This spot held much meaning to Sakura during those few years of Sasuke's absence as this was the place she had last saw him. And also the spot where she had failed… failed to stop the one she loved from making the biggest mistake of his life. It was truly fortunate that Naruto was still able to save Sasuke and pull him out of the darkness. Naruto had always been the one who had any chance of saving Sasuke and bringing him back, and he had succeeded, unlike herself… And Sakura was very grateful for that.

Today, as they both stood here again, memories of the past were reminisced, the feeling of nostalgia thick in the air. The moonlight shone brightly onto this spot, setting the place aglow as the chilly night air surrounded them both. It was very quiet. Most of the people of Konoha were already asleep by now and even if they weren't, the place was secluded enough from the town as it sat near the edge of the village. This assured them of their privacy, at the very least.

As Sakura stood there under the moonlight, it was then that her thoughts were finally calmed and her tense body relaxed. For the first time in the whole night, she felt at peace with herself.

"Sasuke-kun… do you… remember this place?" she asked, her back facing him as she stood a few feet in front of the boy.

Sasuke stared at her slender back, his expression unchanged. He understood perfectly well the meaning behind the girl's question. "… I do… It hasn't changed. Even after so many years."

Sakura nodded slowly. "Hai. This place is… special… don't you think?"

Sasuke didn't answer. In truth, he didn't really like this place. It brought back too many memories… painful memories… memories of regret… They were all memories that he would much rather forget. He heard Sakura inhaling deeply in front of him as she breathed in the fresh air. Slowly, she turned around to face him.

"Ano… I guess you want to know now… the reason that I called you out tonight."

Sasuke attention was immediately piqued. Sakura finally seemed ready to talk. He was going to get to the bottom of this soon… Sasuke then nodded his head slowly in reply despite his eagerness.

Sakura looked down at her feet. Hesitation filled her as her resolve wavered slightly.

"_No. I've come this far… I can't back out now…" _

All night long she had been feeling nervous and had seriously contemplated backing out from what she had planned to do. Which explained why she had been so lost in her own world the whole night.She looked back up at Sasuke. His dark eyes were curious and the moonlight cast his pale skin aglow. He looked utterly breathtaking. Shaking her head slightly, she concentrated on the matter at hand. She knew he'd never let her go off without explaining her reason for asking him out. Pulling herself together, she decided to tell the truth and to go ahead with what she had planned on doing in the first place.

"_I've come too far to give up now… Here goes nothing."_

"Sasuke-kun…" she started. Sasuke's ears perked up, hearing her speak.

"Sasuke-kun… You… you do know what I've been feeling for you all this years, don't you?" Sakura's voice was surprisingly steady but her eyes were refusing to look at him as they wandered everywhere but at him. Sasuke didn't answer. He _did_ know. Of course he did! He wasn't dense. But he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't do anything. He just couldn't return her feelings. Never. As long as there is… _him._

Seeing no reply from the dark haired young man, Sakura continued. "It's been five whole years already since we became teammates… and even longer since we first met each other… It's been many years since we first met, Sasuke-kun. That's a long time."

"…I know." Sasuke didn't like this. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed to and he really didn't want to venture to those grounds.

Sakura was silent for a few moments before she took a deep breath and braved herself. She willed herself to look straight into Sasuke's eyes and lifted her head, trembling slightly. As their eyes met, Sasuke could see all the emotions in those brilliant green eyes. All the feelings from the many years they knew each other… He could recognize those feelings well. It was fondness… and dare he say, love? It mirrored his own feelings when he was looking at a certain blond… only that his feelings were much more carefully hidden… Shaking his head slightly to clear his mind, he concentrated on his current situation. This wasn't the time to be thinking about _that._

Sasuke looked back up at the pink haired shinobi only to realize that her intense gaze was still upon him. It was rather uncomfortable actually. He felt that those brilliant green eyes were seeing right through him, searching through his soul. He then noticed that Sakura was starting to speak again.

"Sasuke-kun… there's something that I've been meaning to say to you for a long time…" she said before pausing, awaiting his reaction.

Sasuke froze. He wasn't sure that he wanted to hear this - he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it - but he also didn't know how to stop her from saying it without hurting her feelings. And so, he could only keep silent. Interpreting his silence as a sign for her to go on, Sakura continued slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

"… I… don't know how to say this, but…" she paused, taking another deep breath before continuing, her voice shaking. "It's just that… we've known each other for a long time, Sasuke-kun. Ever since we were kids. And I've always had a… a crush on you even back then. I know you must've heard this many times in your life, but… I… I love you, Sasuke-kun."

She stopped. She felt suddenly afraid. Afraid of forever losing the boy she loved with all her heart. She started to panic with every minute that the Uchiha heir didn't reply. Their eyes had not broken contact and she could see no sign of emotion in the boy's eyes. Feeling very scared suddenly, she started to talk again.

"I… I know that you must be used to hearing that by now… I… I mean, with so many other girls chasing after you and all… I know you think I'm just like one of them but I'm not! Believe me, Sasuke-kun, I'm not like them!" she stopped again, looking frantically at the Uchiha's eyes. He still hadn't given her any signs of reaction. Her heart started to sink sickeningly into her stomach.

"_No… This can't be happening…" _

Finally, the dark haired boy broke away from her intense gaze. He sighed regretfully, making the girl's heart drop even further.

"Sakura…" he started only to be interrupted.

"No!" Sakura almost shouted. She didn't want to hear it. The tone in his voice was not good news to her. She didn't want him to say what she knew he was going to say. He couldn't reject her! He didn't know what he was saying! He didn't understand enough! She _had_ to explain herself.

"No," she said in a softer tone. "Listen… You don't understand. I… I really love you, Sasuke-kun...! Even… even that time when you had… gone to Orochimaru… I had never stopped loving you. Everyday when I wake up and find that you're not with us anymore… I felt lonely. Even when everyone in the village had lost trust and hope in you, I never did. Because I knew that you'd come back! I knew you'd be back by my side again. And so, I never stopped believing in you… in us. I know this can work! I really do!"

She swallowed, feeling as if a big lump had formed in her throat. It was getting hard to talk but she refused to stop talking. Because it may mean that her worse fears may come true… and she couldn't let that happen…

"Remember… remember that night? Right here… a few years back. I… I couldn't stop you from leaving when you… decided to join the Hidden Sound. It was right here… that I first confessed to you, all my feelings. Those… those feelings weren't lies. I didn't just say them to make you stay. I really meant them, even now. I truly believe we can be happy together. That I can make you happy… That I can make every day more enjoyable for you. You won't regret it… if only you'd give me a chance… Do you know… how much it hurt… when you still left…? It meant that you rejected me… it meant that you didn't feel the way I did… That you didn't believe in us. Did you know… how much that has haunted me for years…? Even up to now…"

She started to stutter even more. She couldn't help it. All the pent-up feelings in her for so many years were all flowing out, overwhelming her. She was so afraid… afraid to lose the person she held most precious to her…

"So… please, Sasuke-kun… I… I really love you… So please… give me a chance…?" Her voice was thick with emotion.

The kunoichi finally stopped talking then, unable to hold her emotions any longer. She couldn't take it anymore. She tore her eyes away from the boy and looked back at the ground. It was all too much for her. She was suffocated in the depth of her own feelings… All she could do now is to wait. Wait for the answer from the boy she loved more than anything in the world. She felt that she had explained herself enough. He would understand now. He would know that his first reaction was wrong… that he should give her a chance… After everything that she had said, how could he reject her?

All this while, Sasuke just listened to everything his companion had said. Every time he heard her say that she loved him, he felt a pang in his heart. Because he knew… that no matter what she said, he could never accept her. Not as long as his own feelings for a certain blond was still there, strong and steady, even when they were not reciprocated. He could never love another…

Sasuke felt more miserable with each passing moment. He could feel the depth of the feelings the pink haired girl held for him. He_ knew_ that she had loved him all this time. He _knew_ she wasn't the same with all his other fan girls. He _knew_ her feelings were pure. But knowing all that didn't change anything because he also knew that he could not return her feelings. He was still going to hurt one of his closest friends in the end. And he hated himself for that. Why did fate choose to play with the hearts of those closest to him? Whatever he did, someone was just going to get hurt…

Sasuke exhaled heavily, looking up to stare at the girl in front of him. Her whole body was trembling, her eyes on the ground as she took uneven breaths of air. He could tell that her mind was in chaos. Knowing what he had to do, he decided that he had to end this now. He should have ended this long ago before Sakura had fallen too deep. It would have saved her a lot of pain. But it was too late to regret that now. What was important at this moment was to end this once and for all, so that they could both move on with their lives.

"Sakura…" he started. He noticed that the girl shook even more when he started to speak. "I can't love you… I'm… sorry."

And that was it. A short and simple sentence and everything was done. It was over. Sakura couldn't believe it.

"Wh… what? I… I must've heard wrongly… There must be some kind of mistake…" she gasped out.

"…I meant every word of it. I'm sorry, Sakura… This relationship can never be… I don't love you."

Sakura felt her world crash around her. She couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't hearing this. Her breathing was getting heavier and there was a sharp pain starting from inside her chest.

"No! You… you don't know what you're talking about! Or don't you understand what I've been saying just now! You're… you're making a mistake!" Sakura's voice was getting louder and louder. She seemed close to becoming hysterical.

"Sakura… Please, calm down-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? How can you ask me to calm down now?" she practically screamed. "You're wrong! You're making a big mistake! You have to think this over!"

"Sakura, I know what you're feeling and I appreciate them," Sasuke said, trying his best to calm the girl down. "But I can't just force myself to love you. It isn't fair to either me or you."

"What do you mean it isn't fair?" she shot back furiously. "I don't care! As long as… as long as you love me…" And with that, Sakura broke down. She fell to her knees, her body doubled over and her hands on her face as she started crying uncontrollably on the ground.

"Why…? Why, Sasuke-kun…? Why do you do this to me? Don't you know… how much I love you…?"

Sasuke was silent. He felt really miserable now. He never wanted to hurt anyone. Especially not Sakura, who to him, was one of his closest friends…

"I'm sorry…" That was all he could say, for all the pain he had caused her.

"I don't want your… s..s..stupid apologies! I… I just want you to…s..s..say that…y…you love me… b..back!" she said in between her tears.

"… If I said that… I would be lying to you. And I don't want to lie to you…," he said as Sakura continued to cry uncontrollably. Sasuke made as if to move to her side to comfort her, but thought against it. He looked down at her crying form on the ground as he continued talking. It was now or never. He had to make things clear, once and for all.

"I… I really like you, Sakura. But that's it. I just like you. You're my best friend, teammate, and much more. We've been through lots of things together, but I just don't feel the way you do. I can't return your feelings. And I'm really sorry for that. I'm sorry that I've caused you so much pain. I should have ended this, before you fell deeper. It was a mistake on my part. I should have never run away from the problem in the first place. The truth was… I had always known that I was going to hurt you someday. I wasn't brave enough to face that. And that had just made things worse. If I had been braver… we would not be in this position today… I guess, all I can say is that… I'm really sorry and that… all we can ever be… is friends."

That was the last straw. Sakura's heart was smashed into a million pieces. It hurt so much, she couldn't breathe… Her tears were falling non-stop from her eyes now. She couldn't hold them back.

"_So… this is it…? Everything ends just like that? But why? Why did it have to end this way? I've loved him for so long… I've never done anything wrong… Why did I deserve this…? Why…? I can't believe it… I just can't believe it…… I won't believe it!"_

"No…" Sakura suddenly said. "No. I don't believe this. You're wrong." With that, Sakura started to get up, her tears stopping.

"Sakura…"

"No. You're making a big mistake. I don't accept your answer. I _won't_ accept it." There was something funny about the way she spoke. It was calm and steady.

The raven haired boy was now worried for his teammate. "Sakura… what do you mean you won't accept my answer…?"

"I mean what I say. I won't accept your answer. I know you're making a big mistake."

"… You don't know what you're saying…"

"I know very well what I'm saying and there's nothing you can do to change my mind," Sakura said in a determined voice. "I won't let you go. I've loved you for too long. I've given up too much for you."

Sasuke was silent. He felt afraid now, worried for his friend's mental state. Had Sakura finally snapped? "Sakura… You're not in the right state of mind. You need to relax…"

"Oh, don't worry about me, Sasuke-kun, I'm fine."

Silence reigned again. Sasuke didn't know what to do. Why was Sakura acting this way? It was scaring him. Then he realized that she was speaking again.

"One day you'll realize… that you're making a big mistake… and then you'll come back to me. I know it."

Sasuke could only stare at the girl in front of him. She looked so calm and composed compared to the broken girl whom had been crying just a few moments ago. He couldn't react. He couldn't move at all. How was he supposed to handle this?

"Well, it's late and I really should be going home now," Sakura said, breaking the silence. The tone in her voice was monotonous, and it worried Sasuke more than ever. "Thanks for going out with me tonight. Don't worry. I'll get home myself. You don't have to send me," she continued. After that, she then bowed her head lightly before walking off.

Sasuke could only stare at her retreating back worriedly. He had seen a flicker of pain in her eyes when she had said she had wanted to go home. He knew she was hiding her true feelings. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. Apparently, she hadn't taken his rejection well. He sighed. All he could do now was to hope that one day, she could accept his rejection, and move on with her life. Sakura was a wonderful girl anyway. She would have a much brighter future with someone other than him.

Taking one last worried look at her, he then turned around and started to make his way back home which was the opposite from where Sakura lived. He didn't notice that the pink haired girl had stopped in her tracks at the sound of his footsteps moving away. He didn't notice the girl turning around to look at him as he walked away, tears in her eyes as the pain in her heart was reflected so plainly then. Deep within her, Sakura knew that she was only lying to herself. Turning a deaf ear and refusing to see that Sasuke had clearly rejected her… it was all really just a farce that she created to comfort herself. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to admit. Because admitting it would really mean that it was all over…

"_I just can't let go… I just can't!" _she thought to herself, still unable to accept the fact that she was rejected. She had more or less expected this answer, but expecting it did nothing to lessen the pain. She had dared to hope but apparently, hoping wasn't enough… With tears falling in rivulets from her eyes, she walked away from the spot that had changed her fate once again. But had her fate changed for the better or for the worse, was yet to be seen.

_-End Flashback-_

Sakura broke down completely in front of Naruto. Reliving the memories of the night before was just too much for her. It hurt her so badly.

"I know…I… I'm just lying to…my…myself but I can't help it!" Sakura sobbed, her defenses crumbling.

Immediately, Naruto abandoned his place beside the tree and came forward to gather the crying girl in his arms. He held her close against his body as she clung to him tightly, crying her eyes out on his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Shh… It's okay… I'm here…" he said soothingly, his hand rubbing her back comfortingly while the other was on her waist, supporting her as they stood there, at the training grounds in the middle of the forest.

Naruto now knew what had been troubling the pink-haired shinobi so much. But he didn't like what he heard. It hurt him to see his Sakura-chan in so much pain but on the other hand, he couldn't really blame the raven haired boy either. He knew that you could never force yourself to have feelings for someone that you just didn't love, and he appreciated the fact that Sasuke had been honest with Sakura. In fact, the dark haired boy had been rather considerate and had tried his best to protect Sakura's feelings from what Naruto had heard. As he was lost in his thoughts, he realized that Sakura was speaking again, her voice muffled in his shoulder.

'Why…? Why c..c..can't he lo..love me…? Why…? I lo..love him s..so much… Do..doesn't he… r..r..realize t..that…?"

"_Don't you realize how much I love you too?" _Naruto thought, a slight pain in his heart. But instead of saying that, Naruto just stood still, comforting the girl he so cared about. How he wished to be able to hold her like this every day, but under different circumstances instead of her crying like it was the end of the world. He just sighed as he continued to hold her tenderly, his love for her enveloping Sakura with a warmth that managed to calm her down more than she realized it herself. They stood there, Naruto comforting Sakura as best as he can. Holding each other closely, they felt at peace with themselves. It felt like this was how it always should be…

Unbeknownst to them, up on a tree, a few feet away, a certain raven-haired boy watched the scene in silence. He had felt worried about Sakura and had decided to turn back after only taking a few steps away from the place. When he had reached the spot where they had had their meeting again, he had found the pink haired girl telling the blond the events of the night before. He had then quickly made his way up the nearest tree so that they wouldn't notice that he had turned back. But he needn't have worried anyway. Both of them had been so enraptured in the story that they hadn't noticed Sasuke's presence. The Uchiha had not missed the expression on the blond's face as he listened to Sakura's story intently. So full of love and care for the girl that the Uchiha himself had rejected last night. At the moment, watching them embrace so intimately right in the middle of the forest, he felt a dull ache rise in his chest. A single thought rose in his mind.

"_Maybe… maybe they are meant for each other…"_

And with that thought, he left his two embracing teammates alone.

End Chapter 2

A/N How was it, eh? Reviews please!


	3. Chapter 3

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 05/03/06 3.50 am**

A/N : Chapter Three up! Thanks to all that reviewed! You're too kind! Oh and to kawaii kitsune-kun. Thanks so much for the nice review and also the suggestion. I've tried to change the summary but it still doesn't look right. Oh well… And as for your question… (Points at the main pairing written below). Does that answer your question? (grins).

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : Yaoi. If anyone is uncomfortable with that then DON'T read further.

Pairings : SasuNaru (main) and other various pairings.

Chapter Three

It was already late in the afternoon in Konoha village. The weather was cool and breezy as the normally blazing sun was hidden graciously behind the clouds on this particular day. Most of the villagers of Konoha had taken advantage of the rare occurrence of such nice weather and left the cozy confines of their houses to enjoy nature at its best. But this did not hold true for two certain villagers in Konoha. In fact, the two villagers were indeed two young shinobis.

Up at the Haruno household, there were two people who had not gone out to bask in the late afternoon weather. This may seem a bit odd as normally shinobis can be found training in the middle of the forest at this time of the day. However, today was a bit different for these two young chuunins as neither of them were in the mood to even think about training. Naruto was currently at Sakura's house. He had been there for the past four hours, worrying himself over his pink haired teammate as he tried, in vain, to snap her out of her reverie. She had still not gotten over the bitter rejection that she had received just two days ago and her condition seemed to only have worsened. As the two of them sat there, in the Haruno's cozy living room, Naruto tried again to catch Sakura's attention, as she seemed to have fallen back into staring off at space again.

"Sakura-chan, don't you want anything to eat? Anything at all?"

Sakura barely seemed to have heard the blonde when he spoke. As a reply, she just shook her head slightly from side to side, indicating that she didn't want anything before settling back into the sullen expression that she'd had all morning.

Not one to give up so easily, Naruto tried again.

"Are you sure?"

The female shinobi shook her head again.

"Not even a little? Just a cup of tea?"

Another silent shake of the head was all he got as she seemed determined to refuse to eat or even speak properly to him. Naruto sighed.

"_Sakura-chan…Why? Why did she have to be this way? Doesn't she realize that she's hurting herself? And hurting me along the way…"_

Yesterday, after Sakura had broken down on Naruto after their meeting with Kakashi-sensei in the forest, Naruto had good-heartedly taken her back to her home at the Haruno residence. Upon reaching the pink haired girl's house, Naruto had been surprised to find that Sakura's parents were away from the village due to some family business. That would certainly complicate matters as there would be no one around to watch over Sakura during the time that she was most fragile. This only served to increase his worries and so, Naruto had taken it upon himself to take care of Sakura during her time of need. He wanted to make sure she was okay, not only for her sake but for his own too…

Naruto stretched his arms as he leaned backwards slightly on the white couch that sat in the living room. Sakura's house was… well, comfortable. It wasn't a very big house and was much like those average houses that one would normally picture. It had all the necessities such as the kitchen, toilet, living room, bed rooms… everything an average family would have in an average house.

At this moment, the two teammates were in the living room, Naruto almost giving up on his quest of trying to talk some sense into Sakura. Sakura's refusal to accept the painful truth that Sasuke had rejected her had resulted in her abusing herself. From what Naruto had seen, Sakura was not taking care of herself at all. After she had come back from the meeting yesterday, she had immediately gone to sleep without eating. And when Naruto had come to visit her at around noon today, she apparently hadn't got out of bed yet. She had looked a mess at that time, her hair was tangled all over and her face projected tiredness. There had been dark shadows under her eyes, evidently showing that she had not slept well the night before. Worried at what he saw, the blonde quickly managed to persuade her to tidy herself up a bit. After that, he had attempted to talk his friend into eating something. He had noticed that the food that he had set for her after she fell asleep the night before had remained untouched in the refrigerator. This had worried Naruto as he had a feeling that Sakura had not been eating properly for the past few days. However, Sakura had adamantly continued to refuse to eat. Determined to take care of the girl, Naruto continued his attempt to make her eat, albeit failing miserably and bringing them to their current position.

Breaking out of his thoughts, he looked at the girl who was still staring off at space. Sakura hadn't moved at all since Naruto slipped into his own thoughts. She gave out absolutely no sign that she was going to take the food that Naruto had put on the living room table for her or perhaps, most probably, she hadn't even noticed it.

Naruto frowned. He was seriously losing patience here. He didn't want to hurt his friend, but if she insisted on hurting herself, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. He would _force_ Sakura to eat the food if he had to, even if it meant that he had to treat her with nothing less than brutality, shoving the food down her throat if it came to it.

"Sakura-chan… if you're not going to eat anything, you're going to get yourself sick…

No reply came from the pink haired girl. She didn't seem to have heard the blond. Exasperated, he tried again.

"…Please Sakura-chan… Don't make me do something that can hurt you…"

At those words, Sakura looked up, her emerald coloured eyes staring straight into bright blue ones, her gaze penetrating through the blond. She seemed to stop for a moment. Naruto felt his hopes rise slightly. Did she finally get what he was trying to say? Did she finally understand and decided to snap out of it? As he looked anxiously back at her, he was left extremely disappointed when she turned away at the last moment.

Naruto was getting angry. There was no point in trying to help her if she didn't intend to help herself. It was useless. He tried to control his temper. It wouldn't be good for him to start shouting at her at a time like this, even if it _was_ for her own good. He couldn't leave her now when she needed him the most. Not only that, he had a feeling that his female companion would just throw him out if he even put one toe out of the line. She was extremely sensitive now and he couldn't risk her kicking him out… that would mean that he couldn't help her anymore… and who knows what the kunoichi might try to do if nobody was watching her… especially when she was in this state of mind. Trying to suppress his anger, he opened his mouth to say something when he heard the pink haired girl speak.

"… Naruto… I'm sorry."

"Eh?" Naruto was surprised. "Sorry? What…?"

Sakura just smiled, still not looking at him, her gaze seemed to have stuck to the floor.

"I know that you're trying to help… but… you _can't_ help me."

"What do you mean I can't help you? Of course I can! You know I'll do anything to help you! Anything at all!"

"_Anything… for you…"_

The female shinobi just continued smiling at the ground, her body unmoving.

"Naruto… Do you still remember? Those times we spent together when we were just genins in Team 7?"

Naruto lifted a confused eyebrow. What was Sakura getting at? Unsure of what to say at the suddenness of the question, Naruto merely replied with a nod of his head. Whether Sakura saw him nodding or not Naruto didn't know but she continued anyway.

"Those times… It was just you, me, Kakashi-sensei and… _him_."

Not liking where this conversation was turning to, Naruto quickly started talking.

"Uh, yeah. But that was a long time ago, Sakura-chan. We're chuunins now! After all that hard work, we're not genins anymore. Everyone else is much better too…"

"… Yes… We have all certainly come a long way… We've been through a lot…"

"That's right. We're all older now... Sakura-chan." There was a pause before he added what he said next. He had to be careful with his choice of words now after all. "You have to see… Some things… have changed and some things… have not."

Sakura's head slowly lifted as she raised her eyes to Naruto, her brows furrowed as she frowned at him. It was the first time that day that she seemed to be paying real attention to the blond.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is… Maybe its time that you accept some things… like… Sasuke's feelings…toward you… maybe… it's just not meant to be…"

That was it. He decided that he had to get straight to the point. If Sakura was going to be difficult, he was going to have to be very critical. It was all for her own good after all.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Sakura started, her voice rising in volume. It seemed the blond's words had touched a nerve. The blond stared as she continued to yell at him, her glaring eyes suddenly focused on him. "Are you saying I'm being delusional? What are you trying to tell me, Naruto? That I'm escaping the truth? That all this while ever since five years ago, I've just been wasting my time!"

"That's… not what I mean, Sakura-chan… What I mean is…"

"Don't lie to me! I know what you really think. You think I have no chance. You think its no use. You think that I should just give up…!"

"But that's because it's true Sakura-chan! You have to let it go! It's been five years already and he still doesn't appreciate your feelings! How long more are you going to wait?" Naruto practically shouted at her as he started to lose whatever little patience he had left. Trying to control himself, he lowered his voice. "Just…just let it go already… Or else, you'll be the one hurting in the end…"

"No!"

"Sakura-chan…"

"I SAID NO!"

Naruto fell silent. Sakura was definitely pissed right now. Her hands were balled into fists as her green eyes glared right at him. He didn't know what else he could do. Sakura won't listen to him at all. How can he help her, if she doesn't even want to listen to him…? Apparently, she was currently in denial and didn't want to accept the facts. So there was just no use. Advising her to face the truth was like telling a cat to go fly a kite. Naruto could only watch as the pink haired girl's eyes dropped to the ground again, her breaths coming in quicker as she recovered from her anger.

As the last of her anger ebbed away, she straightened her body again, her jaw set in a firm line and her eyes betraying no emotion. After a few seconds of pause, she started to speak again.

"I know you're trying to help, Naruto. But really… maybe you should stop."

"… What?" Naruto looked confused.

"I said you should just forget about me. Don't bother."

"But Sakura-chan…"

"Even if you put everything into helping me, you won't get anything in return." Sakura gave him a meaningful look. Naruto was seriously confused now. What? What was she talking about? She didn't… she didn't actually think that he was doing this just so he could get something in return, did she?

"Sakura-chan. It's not like that. I never wanted anything in return."

"_Although I love you more than anything, what I'm doing now is from my heart. I don't expect anything from you…"_

Sakura's right eyebrow rose slightly.

"Is that so? Well, whatever it is, it's useless. I won't give up on Sasuke-kun. I could never give him up. One day, he'll come back to me. I know he will. So I won't let go, ever… and there's nothing you, or anyone else for that matter, can do to make me change my mind."

Sakura had a determined look on her face again. She settled herself back on the couch as she slowly returned to her newly acquired habit of staring off at space. Well, that signaled the end of the conversation. She clearly didn't want to discuss the topic further. Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration. She was so stubborn. The blond knew that no matter what he did now, he could never persuade her to give up. She just simply refused to listen to him. He let out a long sigh. Why was this so difficult?

In just a matter of moments, Sakura had gone back to staring off at space, her plate of food still unnoticed. Seeing this, Naruto attempted another brave stab again.

"Sakura-chan… aren't you going to eat at all?"

A quiet shake of the head was all he got.

"Nothing at all?"

Another shake of the head. Great. They were back to square one. Naruto leaned back against the white couch again, feeling more than a little frustrated. What was he going to do now?

**

* * *

**

It was late in the evening when Naruto made his way back to his home. The moon was already glowing brightly in the dark, night sky, lighting up the empty streets. The sounds of the village were almost none as the last of the birds in the sky retired from their daily hunting.

Naruto walked dejectedly back to his house, deep in thought and hands in his pockets, his footsteps echoing slightly under the night sky. He had accompanied Sakura until she fell asleep again today although he hadn't succeeded in getting her back to normal, or even anything close to normal. After stubbornly refusing to take Naruto's advice, she had spent most of the day either spacing out or reminiscing their times together back when they were still genins. She didn't seem to want to accept the fact that she had been rejected and not a word of Naruto's advice could make it through to her head. Aside from that, she was purposefully torturing herself by not taking care of her body. The blond couldn't understand it. What was she trying to prove by starving herself to death? Maybe… maybe that's _exactly_ what she was trying to do! She was intentionally hurting herself physically… to escape the hurt she felt in her heart. After all, that was what Naruto had done at one point of time…

Shaking his head to clear his mind, that final thought sunk in. Naruto felt worried. If what he suspected _was _true, if Sakura really _was_ trying to hurt herself, then this was getting out of hand. This was serious! Sakura would be putting her life in danger at this rate, not to mention the mission that they had the day after tomorrow could further put Sakura in a life-threatening position. He had to get help. It didn't matter if Sakura got angry at him for telling on her. He had to help her! He couldn't just watch her ruin herself like that. He couldn't let her suffer. He wanted so badly to make her pain all go away…

Stopping suddenly, Naruto looked around. Perhaps he should tell Kakashi-sensei about this. He'll know what to do. Quickly making up his mind, Naruto turned on his heels and was about to run all the way to Kakashi's house when he saw a shadow emerging from the darkness, just a few feet away. The blond was surprised. Almost nobody could come so close to him without him being able to sense it and he had quite gotten used to that. So now that he was being caught off guard like this, he felt more than a little surprised. But alas, the person who had crept up near him was no ordinary person. As the figure slowly stepped closer to the blue eyed boy, he was able to make out the person's face. It was his friend, teammate and greatest rival. Uchiha Sasuke.

Coming closer, the figure looked up at Naruto before coming to a stop. They stared at each other. Naruto still had a slightly surprised look on his face.

"…Dobe. What are you staring at?" the Uchiha finally broke the silence that had engulfed them. Naruto seemed to have finally noticed that he had been staring at the boy while he was in shock. He looked away, blushing slightly.

"Who are you calling a dobe, you teme!" he shouted at the taller boy, more to disguise his own embarrassment rather than actually feeling angry. He had long since gotten used to Sasuke's names for him.

"Hmm, do you see anyone else around here, dobe?" Sasuke tried Naruto's patience further.

"Sasuke!" Naruto automatically shouted in an annoyed voice. Okay, calling him a dobe was fine, but making fun of him was NOT.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto was so cute when he got worked up like that. The annoyed flush coloured the blond's cheeks into a faint rosy colour, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown as he glared at Sasuke and his whole body tensed up. Sasuke enjoyed infuriating the blond. Because Naruto looked so cute when he was angry. Because Naruto paid attention to him when he was angry.

"_Because Naruto would think of me when I make him angry…" _

Sasuke's smirk wavered slightly. He did not want to venture into those thoughts. Now was not the time. Naruto was watching him.

Naruto just stood there glaring at the raven haired boy who was smirking at him in that annoying manner. He was feeling pretty sensitive tonight. Already tired out from the situation with Sakura, he did _not_ need to have the _teme_ irritating him further. He looked the taller boy up and down. There was a rather ruffled look about the Uchiha tonight, evidently showing that the taller boy had been training again today probably in preparation to go for the mission. His usual fully black outfit had traces of dirt at various places and his whole body emitted a slight smell. It was the scent of Sasuke, which was tinged slightly with the smell of sweat. How Naruto had grown used to that scent, since Sasuke was constantly near him especially during training. It was comforting to be able to sense Sasuke in that way. It marked the presence of the raven haired boy, something he had grown accustomed to. It somehow always felt good to have his rival around nearby… the three years without him had been… wait, what was he thinking about?

The blond haired boy frowned. His thoughts had wandered too far. Why was he suddenly thinking so much about Sasuke anyway? Shaking his head, he quickly dismissed the problem and didn't think about it anymore. When he realized it, the taller boy was already walking away.

"Humph!" Naruto huffed loudly, making sure that he could be heard by the other boy before crossing his arms behind his head and turned back to walk to his home (he totally forgot about going to see Kakashi), which was on the opposite direction of where Sasuke was walking to.

"_That teme! All he does is insult me whenever he sees me and he calls himself my best friend! It wouldn't hurt for him to be nice for once!"_ Naruto rambled in his own mind. As said before, he hardly did mind the insults anymore. He now shared a special bond with Sasuke and these small things just weren't important anymore. Before, Naruto would have minded about it a lot but since the whole Orochimaru ordeal, things had been different between them. A trust had been born between them and it was so strong that they would entrust their own lives in each other's hands. Their feisty relationship now was really more out of habit than anything else.

Naruto took another two steps before stopping all of a sudden. Something was bothering him. Wait a minute. Wasn't he forgetting something?

"Sakura-chan…!"

Ah, stupid! He was supposed to go see Kakashi-sensei about Sakura's problem! Meeting Sasuke and getting annoyed by the cold bastard had totally pushed it out of his mind. Cursing the Uchiha and turning around once again, he took several quick steps forward before breaking into a run. In within seconds, he could see Sasuke's retreating back again in the distance. The blond was just about to make a turn to the junction on his left in the direction of Kakashi-sensei's house but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. A sudden idea had come to him. He thought about it for awhile, contemplating the pros and cons seriously. Then, without further delay, he changed his direction and went straight instead, following in the Uchiha's footsteps. Breaking once more into a light run, he quickly caught up to the dark haired boy. When he was in within hearing distance from the boy, he called out.

"Oi, Sasuke-teme! Wait!"

The taller boy stopped walking. He turned his head to the back slowly, his eyebrow lifted in a questioning look.

Naruto took the last few steps forwards and stood right in front of the taller boy. Panting slightly, blue eyes met dark ones as their gazes met. With a serious look on his face, the blond voiced the question he had just only decided to ask a few moments ago.

"Sasuke, can you go out for dinner with me?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. Wh…what? His heartbeat quickened. A memory of the same question that had been proposed to him just two nights ago by a certain kunoichi and the confession that had followed on that night quickly flitted into his mind. Was this… was this what he thought it meant?

"_No way,"_ Sasuke scolded himself. _"It can't be true. It's probably something else… It's not like we haven't gone for dinner together before. Don't get your hopes up for nothing just because something similar happened two days ago…"_ But even though he thought that, he couldn't get his heartbeat to calm down as hope unwillingly rose in his chest.

Seeing the odd look on the taller boy's face, Naruto quickly added.

"Don't worry. I won't take too much of your time or anything…" Naruto started. "I just need to talk to you. It's… it's about Sakura-chan…"

"_See. I told you it wasn't true…" _Sasuke thought to himself. He felt the warm hope that had welled up in his chest suddenly die down as a cold feeling replaced it. This wasn't the first time this happened anyway… Ever since Naruto and he had reached an understanding in between them, it was rather common for them to spend time together. Just to talk, or to accompany each other. Neither had families anymore and these moments were precious to them to fill in the emptiness in their hearts, especially after everything that had happened with Orochimaru. But still, Sasuke found that every time they spent time together like that, a hope would rise in him. Perhaps, he'd always secretly wished that their relationship would turn into something more during these private moments together, but it never did happen. Never on Naruto's part, anyway. And today was no different.

Trying not to let the disappointment show on his face, he gazed back at the blond's face as he tried to think of an excuse to decline the invitation. For the first time, he was refusing a chance to spend time with his beloved. Why? Because he really didn't want to spend his evening talking about the pink haired girl… even if she was one of his best friends. Sure… he was still worried about the girl since he had just rejected her, but he just didn't feel like discussing this topic with anyone… least of all with Naruto…

As the raven haired boy looked into the blue depths of the shorter boy, he found that he couldn't say no. There was a pleading look in those eyes. Apparently this was very important to the blond. The Uchiha heir sighed. Sakura was that important, huh? He felt a familiar throbbing rise somewhere in within his chest. Unable to decline, he nodded his head as an answer. Naruto's eyes lit up. A grin made its way onto his face.

"Yosh! Come with me then." As he said that, the blond led the way back into the middle of the village. He didn't notice the sigh that the taller boy let out, nor the look of prolonged sadness in the other boy's eyes as he followed the blue eyed shinobi back into the village.

Twenty minutes later, Sasuke found himself at Naruto's all time favourite hangout place. Ichiraku's ramen stall. They were the only customers then. They sat side by side in the small store as the stall owner went about his business, leaving the two alone in respect to their privacy. The young Uchiha watched as Naruto downed yet his fifth bowl of ramen for the night. The dark haired boy had long since finished his own bowl of ramen and had fallen into the act of watching the blond satisfy his ramen addiction for the past five minutes. He had a bored expression on his face, his arms crossed and leaning on the table, as he stared with mild fascination at his friend who was greedily slurping up all the ramen he could beside him. However, bored as he may seem, it was a different story below the raven haired boy's cold exterior. He loved watching the blond enjoying himself like this. It was obvious that ramen was really one of the things that the blond liked most in the world and he treasured it a lot.

The taller boy inwardly smirked as he sat there calmly. This was one of the pleasures he took when being with Naruto. It was nice to be near the blonde without arguing. Ironically, today was so much alike the 'date' that Sasuke had had with Sakura just two nights ago. However, with Sakura the atmosphere was uncomfortable. With Naruto… it was enjoyable and seemed almost natural. Sasuke thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of closeness he got from something as simple as eating together with the blonde. For the next few minutes, they just sat there enjoying each other's company. Well, Sasuke did anyway. Naruto was still busy finishing up his ramen. Finally, after a few more moments which seemed all too short for Sasuke, the blond put down his empty bowl and chopsticks.

"Mmm. That was good…" Naruto said out loud to no one in particular. He then turned to the Uchiha, his face spread out in a wide grin. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Guess I got carried away with my ramen there… heh." His face was tinted with a light blush, his hand behind his head in a show of embarrassment. Sasuke was stunned. He couldn't reply. He couldn't take his eyes off of the blond. He was just… beautiful…

"_Naruto…"_

Noticing the weird look that the taller boy was giving him, Naruto stared back.

"Uh… Sasuke?"

Forcing himself to move again, the raven haired boy snapped his head back straight to break his gaze from the captivating sight. He willed himself not to blush as he inwardly scolded himself for letting his guard down. Looking everywhere but at the blond, he answered as steadily as he could.

"Iie… its nothing."

Naruto looked doubtful but didn't pursue the topic further. Besides, he had more important things to think about. The blond looked down at his empty bowl of ramen. He hadn't only been stuffing his face with ramen for the past twenty minutes or so, he had also been thinking. He didn't know how he was going to bring about this topic with Sasuke, much less ask him to do something about it… But… Sakura was Sasuke's friend too, right? He should care too, right? Even if he was the actual cause of her to be that way… Making up his mind, the blond steeled himself up, and decided to go ahead with what he had set out to do.

"Sasuke. I want to talk to you about Sakura-chan." His sentence was serious and direct to the point. There was no point in beating around the bush anyway, or so he thought.

Sasuke didn't reply. He really didn't want to talk about it. Not here, not now. But he couldn't see any way out of this. Besides, he _did_ agree to come with Naruto…

Seeing the lack of response from the genius ninja, Naruto continued.

"I was with her today… She's not taking your rejection too well. She's not taking care of herself. She's… she's even refusing to eat…"

"_He was with her today…? Oh… no wonder he didn't turn up at the training grounds all day long…"_

Ignoring the slight stab of jealousy in his heart, he gave no reply. After all, Sasuke did know that the pink haired shinobi was in pretty bad shape. Her odd behaviour when he had left her two nights ago was evidence enough. But still… he couldn't possibly do anything. In his own opinion, he thought that it'd be better for him to keep his distance from the girl now. Seeing her would only make it worse.

"Sasuke… you have to talk to her," Naruto continued as he turned his head to look at the raven haired boy in the face. There was nothing to it. If anyone could help Sakura now, it would be Sasuke. However, the look on Sasuke's face when the blond said that was one of incredulity.

"You want _me_ to talk to her?"

"Yeah…" the blond answered in reply. "I know it sounds dumb to ask you, of all people, to talk to her but I'd already thought about it. At first, I thought about getting Kakashi-sensei to talk some sense into Sakura-chan. But… when I remembered how… she didn't even bother to listen to what I had to say, I didn't know if even Kakashi-sensei could help her. I thought about Tsunade-bachan too but… being a Hokage, I think it's too much for me to ask her to help on this… I mean, being a Hokage's really busy and all, so…"

A short pause, then Naruto continued speaking.

"Then I bumped into you! Then I started thinking, you're probably the only one Sakura-chan will listen to now… She misses you more than anything! I bet if you just went to see her, show some concern for her… she'd be happier… then maybe she'll be alright again…"

Naruto fell silent, waiting for Sasuke to say something, his blue eyes staring intently at the Uchiha's turned face. The genius ninja was quiet for awhile before finally answering.

"… Naruto… I…can't do it."

Naruto blinked. "Why not?"

"Because it isn't right."

"What do you mean it isn't right?" Naruto felt the heat rise up to his neck. Why was the _teme_ refusing to help? Didn't he care about Sakura at all? He'd thought that the Uchiha would agree since he'd seemed to get along better with the girl lately…

"Because it just isn't right," the raven haired boy repeated, his eyes were fixed in front of him, not wanting to look at the blond.

"And what the hell do you mean by that?"

"Look Naruto," Sasuke said, turning around and facing Naruto. Their eyes met. "Look here. I just don't think it's a good idea for me to go see her now."

"And why the hell not?" Naruto stated indignantly at the Uchiha's face.

"Because it would complicate matters!"

Naruto looked as if he was about to say something again but Sasuke quickly cut him off.

"Listen Naruto. I was the one who rejected her. I was the one who hurt her, okay? So seeing her now won't help anybody! It'll just make things worse! I'll just hurt her even more…"

Naruto stayed silent for awhile, gazing at those dark orbs that were Sasuke's eyes, trying to read the emotion in them. The blond knew that Sasuke's words were sincere… and he was probably right. Still… he looked back determinedly.

"Even so, the only one she'll ever listen to… is you, Sasuke."

Sasuke was surprised. There was an odd way about how the blond said those words… His tone… it was so serious… so sincere… an emotion so strong, and all of it was for _Sakura_… He didn't know how to react to it.

"_Naruto…"_

"If you were the one to advise her, there's a good chance that she'll listen. It's because you're different to her, Sasuke. You're different from everyone else. And that's why I think, you're the best person to talk to her… snap her out of it. If you just went to see her… she'll know you care, and she'll be happy. Everything would be back to normal again… and she'd stop hurting herself… I… I'm not asking you to accept her… All I'm asking, is for you to show some concern for her…"

The blond retracted his gaze as he stared to the front again. His bright blue eyes seemed to fade as he obtained a serious look. Unreadable emotions were flickering in his eyes. Emotions that Sasuke hardly ever saw in those beautiful blue eyes. The blond was almost always cheerful and happy. Almost… He waited for Naruto to speak again.

"… Sakura-chan is always going on about how great you are…"

Sasuke was silent, frozen by the words being uttered by the blond boy. It was thick with heartfelt emotion… For awhile, there was no sound except for the rustling of nearby trees as the night wind picked up slightly, as if to emphasize the silence between the two boys. This time, it was the raven haired boy's turn to stare at the side of Naruto's face as the blond adamantly kept his gaze diverted to his front.

"_What's wrong with me? Why the hell do I feel like this? Why is it suddenly so difficult to speak…?"_ the blond thought to himself. Swallowing, he forced himself to continue.

"Sakura-chan… really cares about you… You know that, right? So… please… just talk to her, okay? Don't let her hurt herself anymore…"

Sasuke felt his frustration level going up despite noticing the obvious downturn in Naruto's mood. Why couldn't Naruto just understand it? Closing his eyes, the taller boy willed himself to be patient before replying.

"Naruto… I don't think you get my point-"

"I get it! I get what you're trying to say!" the blond interrupted, his head snapping back to meet Sasuke's gaze, his brows furrowed.

"I… get it… I know what you're trying to say…" the blond said again. "I know that asking you to talk to her now seems like a stupid idea, but I'm telling you, it'll work. You're the only one that can do it… you're the only one she ever listens to! And… I also know that asking this from you is not fair… but… I'm not asking for much… am I?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke was shocked at what he was hearing. There was something wrong with the way Naruto said those words. It sounded weak… and sad. Naruto bowed his head low. The Uchiha kept silent as Naruto started talking again, this time, in a tiny and… miserable voice.

"She really loves you, you know. She really does. No matter what you do, she just won't let go of you…"

Well, in all honesty that was sort of true, the taller boy thought. Sakura was very persistent at times and it didn't go down well in this case… The tone in which Naruto's voice had taken now disturbed him greatly.

Naruto was extremely troubled. He didn't know why, but his feelings, which had always been so carefully hidden, were flowing out uncontrollably tonight. Perhaps his day with Sakura had weakened him more than he'd expected. His defenses had already been lowered the day before when the girl had broken down in his arms. He felt so tired now… too tired to keep his emotions in check… too tired to hide it all anymore. Tired of acting strong… After all, he was weak… in that sense, he was. He wasn't good with feelings… There was only so much he could take without breaking his mask. Sakura's condition had caused his mask to crack, little by little. This was because, just by seeing Sakura hurt so much because of Sasuke's rejection, made him realize yet again how much the girl loved their other teammate. It reminded him of the love he himself had for the girl. It also reminded him of the love that would never be returned… because the girl he cared about so much could never accept the love he had for her no matter what he did… When he thought about all that, the pain that was so familiar returned to him. The pain of rejection. Before, the villagers rejected him for the Kyuubi that was inside of him. Now, he was being rejected by the one person he loved… his Sakura-chan… Her rejection reminded him too much of the pain of his past. And he never wanted to be reminded of that pain again, ever. Today's events at Sakura's house were a harsh reality check that Sakura would never care about him the way he cared about her… And that was when the pain came…

-Flashback to the time at Sakura's house-

"_Even if you put everything into helping me, you won't get anything in return."_

-End Flashback-

He felt his whole body start to tremble as he balled the fists which were resting in his lap. He couldn't help it. His mask was broken. Sakura's rejection hurt more than ever now. His feelings for the pink haired girl had really grown over the years. He couldn't bear the pain. Flashes of his past, the rejection of the villagers, Sakura's rejection and all the pain came to him in a sudden rush. Before he knew it, words were spilling out of his own mouth without hesitation. All his pent up feelings… they were all coming out in the open…

"You're really lucky, Sasuke… In a way, you are… Girls are always falling for you… Everyone cares about you… It never mattered what you did… No matter how serious the mistakes you've made, they always take you back… People always accepted you, the way they never accepted me…"

The blond's voice was shaking now, along with his whole body. The Uchiha could only stare as he watched his friend pour his heart out at him… The blond still had his head bowed to the ground in front of the taller boy. There was a slight sting in the Uchiha's heart as Naruto continued talking. He didn't like to see the blond like this… and the words that he had uttered… were hurtful. The raven haired boy knew that he had made mistakes in the past, and he still felt a sense of guilt about it, but to have Naruto saying it to him made it feel worse. He jumped slightly when the blond gave a shout of laughter.

"Haha! You're always cared about… Heh… At the very least… you have Sakura-chan… If I were you, having Sakura-chan would be like a dream come true… I could never ask for anything more… No matter what other people say about me, as long as I have Sakura-chan… it would all be okay…"

There was an obvious crack to the blond's voice now. The dark haired boy finally decided to move from his spot as his hand moved to pat Naruto on the shoulder, only to have Naruto tense up and shrug the hand away roughly.

"Don't touch me!" Naruto snapped, his face finally lifted to meet Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke felt another pang in his heart. To have the blond rejecting him like that caused an ache in his chest… Moreover, what was worse, was the vision in front of him. Naruto… he had tears in his eyes.

"Naruto…" the Uchiha began only to be cut off when Naruto spoke again in a louder voice.

"I really hate you, you know that? Always! Ever since the time we met! It was always you that everyone cared about!"

Sasuke froze. Slowly, he felt his body becoming numb as he felt a sickening feeling churn in his stomach. His heart was starting to throb painfully. He really hadn't wanted to hear that. Naruto's words had shot straight to his heart as the aching feeling grew steadily worse. He wondered briefly if Naruto knew the effect his words had had on him, or if he even knew what he was saying at all. Well, apparently not because at the very moment he thought that, the blond chose to continue with his outburst. It seemed like the blond wasn't really aware of the things he was saying now, or the effect it was having on the Uchiha… It would seem to Sasuke that Naruto didn't really mean what he said. After all, Naruto rarely ever hated people, no matter what they did… But still, didn't people use to say that the most honest of feelings only ever came out in the open when you're not aware of it? He just didn't know. What did Naruto feel about him anyway? Did he really hate him? No, but it was most probable… that Naruto thought of him as just a best friend… just a best friend…. Somehow, knowing that… didn't lessen the hurt the Uchiha heir felt…

"And now Sakura-chan too!" the blond blubbered on. "She cares so much for you! Why? Why can't you return her feelings? Do you know how much you're hurting her? Why are you doing this to her?" Naruto was positively in tears now, the wet drops sliding down the sides of his face in quick rivulets as he was overwhelmed by the intensity of his own feelings, but his gaze never left Sasuke's.

Naruto continued to rave as he sobbed in misery, destroying the Uchiha's poor heart even more. He hated to see those tears on Naruto's face. It was tears of jealousy. Tears of sadness. Tears of resentment. And the taller boy hated to see those emotions written so plainly on the blond's face… because he knew, those resentful emotions, were all for him…

"No matter what I do… Sakura-chan will always only care about you… She loves you more than anything in this world. You're so important to her… And your rejecting her is hurting her so much… I hate seeing her hurt, Sasuke! It hurts me too! But… but she will never see that… She will never see… how important she is to me…"

And with that, the blond completely broke down. He couldn't speak anymore. He was so tired, his brain having ceased to function the moment he started to rave. He lost all of his self-control then as his tears continued to run down the sides of his face as he kept silent. He lowered his head, not wanting to show any more of his weakness to the taller boy for the sake of his pride. But it didn't matter anyway. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care if he was crying in front of Sasuke… He couldn't think straight anymore, much less care if he was crying in front of someone else or not. Sakura was more important than his pride. He loved her so much… he would do anything to help her, anything for her… He didn't want her to reject him ever… he didn't want to feel that same old pain of rejection anymore. Never again…

Stuttering badly, he tried to speak up once more as his mind cleared slightly from the fog that it was in. He was determined to get Sasuke to speak to Sakura, if only to comfort her, in an effort of what he hoped would make things better.

"So… so please… J..ju…just talk to her, Sasuke. You're.. t..th..the only one... sh..she'll listen to… Don't let her hurt herself anymore… Yo..you don't have to accept her… Ju..just care for her… That's all I ask…"

Sasuke was silent. It was then that he saw the true depth of the feelings that the smaller boy had for their pink haired teammate.

"_He really loves her…"_

The raven haired boy lowered his own gaze. His body felt numb. His heart was throbbing so painfully, it was difficult to breathe. The memory of the day before came back to him, when he had stumbled upon his two teammates embracing each other in the training grounds after turning back. He remembered again the thought that had crossed his mind at that time…

-Flashback to the day before-

"_Maybe… maybe they are meant for each other…"_

-End Flashback-

Sasuke didn't move for a full minute, the blond sitting beside him was by now steadily starting to regain control of his emotions. It looked like he was rapidly recovering from his sudden outburst. Naruto was wiping away the last of his tears, when the taller boy spoke.

"I understand, Naruto. I'll… do it."

Naruto was surprised. He turned to look at the raven haired boy but couldn't see his face. The Uchiha had turned his gaze to the front, his bangs covering his eyes from view, rendering the blonde unable to see the expression on the Uchiha's face.

"You… will…?"

"Hai. I'll talk to Sakura. First thing tomorrow morning."

"… Sou ka…" Naruto was surprised. The dark haired boy had adamantly refused to see Sakura just awhile ago but now he was agreeing? Was it because of his tearful outburst? Naruto thought about it, embarrassed at himself. In truth, he couldn't really remember what he had said during that pathetic outburst. His emotions had gotten the better of him at that time and words had started tumbling out of his mouth without him realizing what he was really saying. Everything had happened in a fog and the only thing that Naruto could remember was a blur of images and a flurry of jumbled words that he couldn't make sense of now that he thought back about it. Well, Naruto didn't really care though. As long as it meant that Sakura was going to be okay again, that she would be comforted soon, he didn't care about anything else.

Silence reigned between them again. Then, Sasuke started to fumble around his pant's pocket. Fishing out a large bill, the raven haired boy placed it on the table.

"It's my treat tonight, Naruto."

With that, the raven haired boy got up and started to walk away, hands in his pockets. When the boy was already a few steps away, the blond found his voice again.

"O..oi! Sasuke!"

The Uchiha stopped in his tracks. He turned his head slightly to look backwards but not bothering to turn around fully. His face was still shielded from view.

"… Arigato… for everything. For agreeing to see Sakura… and… for the ramen…" the blond managed to say.

Sasuke paused awhile before nodding slightly. He then turned around and silently walked off in the distance, disappearing in the chill of the night.

"_Thank you… Sasuke… really… I guess… you do care about Sakura-chan after all…"_

Smiling slightly, the blond left the stall as well, his heart feeling considerably lighter. It was as if a large burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Silently, the blond made his way home quickly, feeling happier than he had been all day. The meeting with Sasuke had done wonders to cheer him up. He pondered briefly on the fact that he always felt content after a good talk with Sasuke. But he dismissed it as he concluded that it was because this meeting had been productive. Sasuke had actually agreed to see Sakura and that was all that mattered. Feeling cheerful, he hummed a little on his way home, assured that everything will be fine by tomorrow.

A few blocks away, the Uchiha continued to walk. Flashes of the dinner he just had with Naruto… and the conversation… was fresh in his mind. It hurt him to see Naruto miserable. He couldn't bear to look at the blond's painful expression. Even if… even if the blond hurt him with his words…

"_I really hate you, you know that?" _

The mere memory of it was like twisting the kunai already buried deep in his heart just a little further. He knew the blond had not been thinking when he'd said those words, but it still hurt all the same. And knowing that Naruto's feelings for him… would never be what he wanted them to be… he felt his heart drop further.

"Naruto… Do you know, how you make me feel?" he whispered that question out loud to the chilly night breeze.

"_I really hate you, you know that?" _

Hm. Funny how those words could hurt him so much, even if he knew that Naruto hadn't really meant them. Or maybe he did? Sasuke didn't know. Whatever it was, it didn't seem that Naruto even had an inkling of what the Uchiha felt for him, nor did he even care. The only person that the blond boy loved, was their pink haired teammate.

"_She will never see… how important she is to me…"_

"Well, Naruto. I guess you will never see… how important you are to me either…" the Uchiha thought, a cold feeling gripping his heart. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts.

"Well, a promise is a promise… tomorrow… I will go and see… Sakura… because that's how much… I love you… Naruto… and I will do it… for you… So, don't cry anymore…"

As the Uchiha walked away, subconsciously, his finger raised itself to flick away the moisture at the corners of his eyes, as he continued his journey home, finally feeling the fatigue of the day's training catching up to him.

End Chapter Three

A/N There's just something wrong with this chapter. It just didn't come out right. Ah well. I'll fix it in the coming chapters. Sorry this took so long to update! Reviews please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 05/03/06 5.20 am**

A/N Chapter 4 here! Before I start anything, I need to make a note here. In the last chapter, I've been told that I made a vital mistake. I used 'blonde' to refer to Naruto. But I was told that 'blonde' is used to refer to girls, whereas a boy would be referred to as 'blond'. Oops! My mistake. Sorry everyone. Oh ya, and also sorry for the 'teme' srew up. I've been told it was used wrongly in the last chapter. Sorry again! Well, at least I;m learning, ne? Maybe one day if I have the time, I'll make the corrections. ;; And to all the reviewers thank you so much! You guys are my motivators, so thank you all so much. And especially to kawaii kitsune-kun, thank you so much! I think you're my biggest supporter at the moment. It's really good to know that someone really likes this fic because I'm actually sacrificing schoolwork and working on this. ;; And yeah, I've changed the summary. Hopefully its better now Heh. On with the fic! This chapter is a drabble from Sasuke's POV. Hope you like it

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : Yaoi. If anyone is uncomfortable with that then DON'T read further.

Pairings : SasuNaru (main) and other various pairings.

Chapter Four

Sasuke rolled over in his bed for the tenth time that night. Dressed only in a dark blue T-shirt and a pair of white, comfortable-looking boxers, he was as ready as can be for bed. But now, it was way past midnight and the young Uchiha had been trying, and failing, since the past hour to fall into that desirable world of slumber where everything was quiet and peaceful.

The boy rolled over to his side once more as he pulled the covers of his bed up to his waist. Curling up slightly, he tried to get comfortable as he shut his eyes tightly in another attempt to fall asleep. The seconds ticked by and in less than a minute, the boy was up again. Letting out a frustrated growl, he sat up on his bed and glared at no one in particular. Finally giving up, Sasuke sighed inaudibly before propping his pillow up behind him. Leaning his back against the pillow, now placed against the headboard of his bed, he sank into a comfortable position. It looked like he won't be getting any sleep anytime soon. Not until he sorted out his messed-up thoughts, that is.

He sighed. He didn't want to go through it yet. He had only just managed to push those troublesome thoughts back into the deepest corners of his mind where it couldn't bother him and he wasn't in any rush to retrieve those memories again so soon. After coming back from his 'meeting' with Naruto, the Uchiha had gone for a much needed shower. As he washed away the filth that he had collected from his training earlier in the day, he was left with the task of dealing with the events that had occurred that night. The new revelations that he had only just discovered from the blond himself wasn't pleasant on him. It had been very difficult to accept all that Naruto had said. All the love the blond held for Sakura, and… his own feelings for the blond… everything was so messed up. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to just forget it. It was a coward's way out but he didn't care. Anything was better than putting himself through it again…

Sasuke's body slumped slightly in his bed. Naruto's words had affected him greatly. He felt miserable, depressed, tired… But there wasn't anything that he could do… was there? The blond couldn't know how he felt about him… And he would never know…

Before he could drown in his thoughts again, Sasuke let his eyes wander across his bedroom, more to distract himself than anything else. The brunette was motionless as his eyes traveled to every corner of the room as he took in his surroundings. His bedroom was just like how it was five years ago. There wasn't anything different about it except for the newly obtained cushions that were now piled neatly in a stack on the floor at one corner of the room. The bed stood right in the middle as it faced the balcony. There was a table on the right hand side of the bed, near the doorway that led to the room. Scrolls and books were strewn all over it, marking Sasuke's busy life as a shinobi. A long, oak cupboard, which was about three feet tall, was set against the wall to the left of his bed, as moonlight streamed in from the windows above it. The cupboard was fairly empty except for a television set that sat modestly on one side, a little dusty from lack of use. There was a comfortable looking cream coloured couch sitting by the sliding doors that separated the whole room from the balcony. The balcony, which could be seen from inside the bedroom, was decorated with a complete set of outdoor tables and chairs. All in all, it was very luxurious, considering it was only a bedroom. The Uchiha's were certainly a very rich and prestigious family. Their house had many rooms and they owned a large expanse of land. Since the whole Uchiha clan had been wiped out years ago by Uchiha Itachi, the sole survivor of the clan was Sasuke. Being the only Uchiha left apart from Itachi, he had inherited all of the Uchiha family riches and assets.

The brunette snorted as a thought crossed his mind.

"_Hah! Some people would kill to be living in this kind of luxury. But I... don't want it... The house is huge. Having a big house with lots of money… people don't know anything, do they? The hollow loneliness within a vast, empty space… it's merely a shelter from the cold outside… although in my case, the house can't even be considered as a shelter. The inside is just as cold as the outside. Perhaps colder…"_

The house which the stoic ninja had inherited was definitely way bigger than was necessary for him. Since he was the only inhabitant, he had always been his own company. He didn't need such a big place to live in anyway considering that he was a shinobi and was mostly out. Sasuke let out a huff.

"_Hah! Humans. Always wishing for something they don't have. But when they do have it, they'll find that it's not all that it seems to be…" _Sasuke thought, indicating the riches that he owned now, which he didn't really want but which other people would have killed for.

Dark eyes scouted the room once more. On the other side of the television set, the raven haired boy noticed a picture which had been framed up neatly. Sasuke stared at it. He let his eyes rest on the small picture. It was a picture of Team 7. Complete with Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Naruto and himself. It was the picture that he had left face down on the table when he had gone to join the Hidden Sound. That picture had been a burden then but now, he was very fond of it. There were even more pictures now, newer ones in fact, which he had set in elegant frames all around the house. It gave him a warm feeling whenever he saw one of these pictures of him, with the people he treasured most in the world...

Ever since returning to Konoha, he had learnt to cherish his present life more rather than the past. Orochimaru was now gone and although the Akatsuki were still at large, he had learnt to let go off his past bit by bit. Slowly, he was beginning to live a life for himself, rather than as an avenger which he had been doing ever since the tragedy that hit the Uchiha clan. He still wanted to avenge the death of his family and his vow to kill Itachi someday had remained. But, it just didn't seem to be as important as it had been before because now, he had found what was most important to him right here in Konoha…

Tearing his eyes away from the beautifully framed picture, Sasuke reached out to put his hand on his neck where the curse seal had once been. Not long after rejoining Konoha, the Fifth Hokage had brewed up a way to get rid of the three black markings. The dark haired boy had then complied without hesitation to the Hokage's request that he remove the curse seal once and for all. He didn't want it anymore. Before, the curse seal had been a source of power to him, but now, he felt that it was a source of regret and self-loathing. The curse seal made him feel dirty. Tainted. Scarred by an evil mark. The memories of himself when he had undergone transformation due to the effects of the curse seal will remain forever in his memory. He had been power crazy. He had to be mad to actually let himself be taken over by the demon within him just for the sake of revenge. He regretted dearly for taking that path but regret didn't change the fact. And he would always be burdened by the memory of it as he tries to compensate for his mistake now. Although the marks were gone now thanks to Hokage-sama's efforts, the young shinobi always felt ashamed of himself whenever he remembered it. It was a mistake that he himself had made, and he would have to live with it for the rest of his life.

The Uchiha continued to stare around his room. He curled himself slightly underneath the covers on his bed, sighing again. He had thought that his fatigue would overtake him and he would have no problems falling asleep. How wrong he had been. Now, he felt more awake than ever. It was a disappointment actually. He would have been happy to just have fallen asleep. Then he would easily be able to escape from the events of that night. He would be able to sleep peacefully but instead, he was lying here, reminiscing old memories that he had buried within himself for some time now. He was reminded of many things… He sighed again. Today had started out as a normal day. Who would have thought that many things would happen before the day ended? Maybe everything would be back to normal by tomorrow. It was just wishful thinking really. Sasuke knew that he couldn't avoid himself from what he was going to do tomorrow… It was inevitable.

"_What am I to do with Sakura…?"_

He shut his eyes tightly. It was his greatest worry at the moment. It had been easy for Naruto to say. The blond had just told him to cheer her up. Didn't he know that it wasn't an easy a task as he thinks it is? The genius ninja of Konoha really didn't think it was wise to go see the female chuunin so soon after what had happened. It would have been best for them to keep their distance, and eventually Sakura would accept what had happened. But if he were to show up again now, Sakura may not let him go. She'll be inclined to get the wrong idea again from his show of concern and then they'll fall back into the same situation. The raven haired boy really didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to get her hopes up again. It was difficult enough to reject the pink haired girl the first time and he didn't want to have the same thing repeating itself again. He didn't want to mislead her anymore. There was just no way that he could return the girl's sincere feelings… No way at all. He didn't want to continue hurting those he held dear anymore… He would have to think carefully about what he was going to say and do tomorrow. A few moments of silent thinking and he discovered that his mind was blank. He didn't know what he was going to tell the kunoichi.

Sasuke growled in frustration. _"Why does Naruto do this to me? Couldn't he ask for something simpler…?" _

Feeling agitated, Sasuke wondered why he couldn't just say 'no' to the blond boy. It would save him so much trouble. The blond was able to manipulate him so easily now and he probably didn't realize it. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to disappoint Naruto even if it meant he was putting himself in a troublesome position. Sasuke huffed.

"_I'm pathetic, aren't I? I can't even go against him anymore… Since when did I care about that dobe this much…?"_

Thinking back, the raven haired boy wondered how it all started. How he had joined the Hidden Sound… all that had happened, and also how… how he had discovered that he had fallen for the orange clad shinobi and also, how he had come to terms with the feelings that he had now. The feelings that told the brunette that he cared a lot more for the overly-active blond than normal friends would. That it wasn't just care or concern for your best friend anymore. It was affection. Sasuke was attracted to Naruto. In fact, he was hopelessly in love with the loud ninja. Naruto can be so dense sometimes. He could never tell when someone actually cares for him.

It happened during the whole Orochimaru ordeal. Sasuke realized now that the feelings that he had had for the blond then were more than he originally thought it was. Back then, he had hated Naruto. Well, he _thought_ he hated him anyway. Hated him for improving so much and that had led to jealousy on his part. Feeling the familiar sense of disgust at himself welling up inside of him, he recalled the time that he had resented Naruto when the blond had improved greatly as a shinobi. At that time, the Uchiha had not been able to accept the fact that the blond had become stronger than himself. He refused to accept that fact. Caught up in his own greed for power, he refused to acknowledge Naruto's strength. Because acknowledging that Naruto was more superior than he was would mean that he was admitting that all his life's efforts had been surpassed instantly by the blond. It had rendered the reason for his existence meaningless. And he just couldn't accept that. He rejected the blond. He couldn't accept the simple truth that he was losing to Naruto as a ninja. He was jealous to the point of insanity. Perhaps it was because of all these heated feelings, the Uchiha had not been thinking straight, and that had led him to make the mistake of his life by leaving Konoha. He had been driven to Orochimaru by his own self-conceit. He had become degraded as a ninja as he fell into the clutches of evil, losing all sense of honor.

Sasuke could still recall, ashamedly at that, his battle with Naruto at the falls before he had gone to join the Sound. He… he couldn't believe it himself now. He had tried to _kill_ the blond. If it hadn't been for the Kyuubi's special abilities to regenerate, Naruto would have died…

Sasuke shivered. When he thought about it now, a chill ran up his spine. What would have happened if the blue eyed boy had really died on that day? He… he didn't think he could ever forgive himself if that had happened. Not that the younger boy _could_ die so easily…He was definitely strong. Still… that incident had haunted the dark haired boy for a long time, up until now. He could never forgive himself for trying to kill the one that meant the most to him…

When Naruto had finally managed to knock some sense into his head, the blond was able to save him and brought him back to Konoha, of course, with some help from the other Konoha nins. Orochimaru had been disposed of and the Konoha nins had finally succeeded in their mission, which had been unfinished for years, to bring back the last of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had actually been very grateful that his friends had still cared for him enough to save him. Even after what he had done, they never gave up on him. And he was very thankful for that. He had realized then, what great friends he had had. He had always blamed Itachi for subjecting him into never-ending loneliness. Itachi had killed his whole family, and left him all alone. He had been deserted. Abandoned. He had hated Itachi for making him feel the pain of loneliness, without anyone to care for him. How stupid he had been. He never realized that he had many friends who had cared for him right here in the village. Friends who would never have left him alone. Friends who would never abandon him. Friends that would have filled his loneliness. But he had chosen to follow the grudge from his past that he still held against his brother… and caused himself to fall deeper into the dark abyss of solitude…

As Sasuke thought back, he admitted that the three years with Orochimaru had been… hell. True, he _did_ become a lot stronger, but at a very high price. With Orochimaru, there was no…warmth. Everyday, he had to deal with the fiend's stares as the evil Sannin smiled evilly… greedily at his body. He knew Orochimaru had been planning to take over his body, but at that time, it didn't seem to matter. He had been too far gone in his quest to fulfill his revenge that he lost all sense of rational thinking as well. The other Sound ninjas weren't too friendly either. Every one of them kept to themselves selfishly and never gave a damn about him. He knew that most of them there disliked him. They didn't like the fact that Orochimaru was inclined to pay more attention to him. He was, after all, the chosen 'container'. And so, he had endured three years of loneliness. Fending for himself and being coldly treated every single moment of his waking hours, it was a total opposite of the treatment he had gotten back in Konoha where everyone smothered him with care and affection. He quickly adapted to his new surroundings though. It didn't matter how people treated him, he only cared about his quest for power. But still… it had been really cold… those three years…

The thing that the raven haired boy had realized that was odd about himself back then only came about two months after his stay at the Sound village. He realized that he had an incessant yearning for some company. Not just anyone's company though… the one he wanted was Naruto's company. He had felt weird at that time. He missed the noisy shinobi. But, why was he missing the younger boy's company? Sure, he missed a lot of other people too. Sakura, Kakashi, his friends… but somehow, he wanted to see the blond more than anyone else. He found himself wondering what the blond was doing at times and where he was at the moment. He missed the wide grin that the blond always had on his face, the non-stop chatter in that uniquely loud voice of his, the musky smell of Naruto when he sweated it out during training, the warmth from him when the blond made contact with him, either when sparring or when bickering… even his annoying habits. He had missed the blond terribly, missed arguing with him, missed looking at him, missed him so much... But why? He had asked himself that question for many weeks, but had still remained confused as to what he was feeling.

It was one night that it happened. He finally understood what his feelings for the blond had meant. It had been about five months since he joined the Sound and as usual, he was in his own room that the Sound nins had prepared him under Orochimaru's orders. He had been sleeping, resting himself up for another day of harsh training to make himself stronger when suddenly, he had been assaulted by a dream. It had been a very disturbing dream. He could see, in his dream, a familiar figure… a blond. Naruto. He had dreamt about the two of them… together. Then he became uncomfortable when the dream became warmer… and warmer. It had felt so… hot. He was with Naruto, and they were doing… a lot of things. He could feel the warm caresses, the intimate touching that was going on in his dream... The closeness of two bodies… The young Uchiha had woken up in a start, his body heated and disturbingly aroused. At first, he waved this situation off as an increase in his hormonal activity. After all, he was a healthy, young male. These types of situations could happen all the time. But after two months of having the same, similar dream, of the same person, he had become very suspicious. Perhaps this was more than just an increase in his hormonal activity. These kinds of occurrences weren't normal. After another month and he _still_ had the same dream, the raven haired boy came to a conclusion. He… missed the blond… a lot. And not in a way that friends should… He realized then that the blond was special to him. He missed the blond more and more everyday, not to mention the lust he felt for him too. The hot, wet dreams had become more frequent as he continued to yearn for the other boy all throughout the three years. Yes. Three whole years. It was a long period of time. But he never forgot Naruto…

Blushing, Sasuke remembered a number of the, uh, 'intimate' dreams he had had. He could also remember that he had found himself thinking about the blond often back then and over time, he accepted the fact that he really liked the boy. As he thought about the blue eyed shinobi more, he realized that Naruto was positively… cute. The boy's actions that had seemed so annoying before… he had missed them. Irritating as it might have been, Naruto's antics were… entertaining and funny. It was a part of the blond. Sasuke realized that those antics were amongst the things that he cherished most in the blond. Anything the younger boy did somehow always managed to brighten up his day. Arguing with the blond everyday, the Uchiha had taken guilty pleasure in infuriating the blond. Life had definitely been more enjoyable in Konoha, despite everything that Sasuke had said and eventually, he found himself regretting his decision to leave. Only a little though. He wasn't going to admit that he had been wrong. He wasn't going to back out. His revenge was his first priority.

But as time passed, his intense feelings of revenge had dwindled, replaced by the emptiness he felt within as he continued to pine for his kitsune. Unable to forget Naruto, his feelings merely grew more and more with everyday that he denied himself from seeing the blond. He was left to fight and struggle with his own emotions. His priorities had become jumbled after a year and many times he had contemplated just going back to Konoha. But he couldn't go back. Not anymore... He had betrayed Konoha. There was no way that they would accept him again. He had become exiled, a missing nin. And not only that… he had tried to kill, the one he had missed the most… just before he left. There was no way that they would forgive him, no way that Naruto would forgive him.

When he had thought that, he had felt a part of his heart eating at him and all thoughts of leaving the Sound would be forgotten. It was too late… He had felt sad… The thought that the blond could never forgive him had made him miserable. His feelings had truly become clearer and clearer during that period of time. Perhaps that was why Sasuke could not kill the blond back at the falls. At the very end of their battle there, he had had a chance to take the blond's life once and for all. But he didn't. Why? He had wanted the Mangekyou Sharingan, but he just couldn't bring himself to kill the blond. He had later pushed it off as not wanting to be like his brother, who had killed his closest friend in order to become strong. He had made up excuses. But why? Maybe… and most probably, he had already subconsciously fallen for the blue eyed fox boy even before then…

"_Ceh, how pathetic…"_ Sasuke thought to himself as he lay down on his bed, eyes out of focus as memories of the three years of his life in loneliness resurfaced from the depths of his memory. He continued to reminisce.

After that, Sasuke had given up. He lost all hope of ever turning back, so he kept on training under Orochimaru. He might as well finish what he had come to do since he had no other paths to choose from anymore, knowing that he would never be forgiven by the people that meant the most to him. But he still couldn't forget Naruto. When Naruto had come for him, he had been happy. But he never showed it on the outside. It was too late. He refused to go back. He couldn't. He didn't want to face everyone. He was a coward. Even when they told him it was okay, that they forgave him, he refused. He felt he couldn't turn back. Everything had become too serious. It was all real. He didn't deserve to go back. He didn't deserve their forgiveness. He didn't deserve to be close to Naruto anymore. And with that conclusion, he had fought. Fought everyone, including Naruto, because he didn't want to go back. He _couldn't. _He just couldn't…

He had put up a very good fight with Naruto then, and they had found that their strengths were equal, but Naruto had edged over him. Because Naruto's will to bring him back had been stronger. And finally, he gave in. He had been too powerless to fight what he really wanted anymore and so, he allowed himself to be brought back. And then, he was finally brought back to the Leaf. He was thankful. He had missed Konoha a lot.

Upon reaching the village, he had been brought to the Godaime where he could only apologize for his deeds. He had then proceeded to go to trial where he had been mercifully given a chance. The Godaime had punished him but he felt lucky. His punishments had not been that severe. The Elders and the Godaime herself had been very merciful towards him. He was touched by their kindness and from then on, he pledged his loyalty to Konoha forever. He vowed to never go against Konoha ever again and was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the village. It was the only way he felt that he could repay the kindness that had been shown to him and he promised himself that he would never go against his vow. He wanted to redeem himself from his mistakes, little by little.

The first few months of his return, he had been quiet and closed. He didn't know how to react to everyone. He had never thought that he would be allowed to step foot inside of Konoha anymore but he did. He spent most of the first few weeks being silent and suspicious. Somehow, he couldn't believe that the people of Konoha were so forgiving. How could they have accepted him just like that? But indeed they _were_ that kind of people and they certainly had easily forgiven him. Most of them anyway. There were still a few that did not trust him but as time passed, they too slowly learned to forgive and accept him once more. And as of late, quite a large majority of the villagers could accept him as their own once again. They slowly forgot the betrayal that Sasuke had committed against them and never bore any grudges. They allowed him the chance that he thought he should never have deserved to get.

Over time, Sasuke had opened up more too. The Godaime, his friends… had all assured him that he was accepted again in Konoha, albeit with resentments from a few and punishments to go along with it. The Elders still insisted on keeping an eye on him even till now but Sasuke was happy enough. He was back where he was happiest before he had made that mistake. Of course, life could not be the same as before so soon, and he did have to carry out his punishments too, but he slowly adapted in as people got used to him once more. He was happy. He felt reborn. But the thing that made him happiest was being able to see Naruto again.

The blond had been resentful and yelled at his stupidity for joining the Sound nins for the first few weeks. Well, that was to be expected. After all, the Uchiha had tried to _kill_ him. But after that, he had become more accepting and seemed to forget it all. The dobe was really very simple minded. He could never hold a grudge against anyone, whether friend or foe, for long. He had forgiven the Uchiha, and Sasuke was very happy to think that. Naruto had cared for him enough to look for him and never once gave up on him. And now, he easily accepted the raven haired boy again. Sasuke was ashamed. He didn't deserve to be forgiven… but he was glad that Naruto was willing to forget what had happened between them and wanted to become friends again. Naruto had saved him from the darkness that had been devouring him up slowly from within. But then again, maybe Naruto only did it because of his promise to Sakura. Apparently, Naruto had made a promise to Sakura that he would bring the Uchiha back. Sasuke had felt slightly disheartened whenever he thought that Naruto only came to look for him because of Sakura but he dismissed it, trusting that Naruto was not as cold-hearted as that.

And after that, the best thing that had ever happened to Sasuke in his whole life had happened not long after he had returned to Konoha. He and Naruto had gone on to patch the differences between them and soon, they had built a fast and steady friendship. Special and private moments together were spent between them as they found it in their hearts to open up to each other. Deep-rooted feelings and their painful pasts, they could understand each other's emotions so well. The bond between them had strengthened after everything that had happened and their relationship had evolved into something special. They understood and trusted each other and had since become the best of friends. Sasuke truly treasured their relationship now. Their bond was unique in its own way, and he knew that he was the only one privileged enough to share this special bond with Naruto. He felt a certain happiness at knowing this special bond was only between him and Naruto alone and it became one of the things he cherished most about his life. Though he knew Naruto's feelings about it were only as far as friendships could go or maybe even brotherhood, but he wasn't going to let that put him off. He regarded this bond with a special place in his heart, for it was probably the closest he could ever get to the blond fox boy.

As Sasuke reflected back to that time when he had decided to turn to Orochimaru, he realized that there was more to what had driven him to Orochimaru then his yearning for power. He didn't just go to Orochimaru for power alone. Maybe he had been trying to run away, escape the fact that he had let the blond deep into his heart. Much deeper than the Uchiha would have ever allowed anyone had he been aware. But then again, emotions were never something that one could control, was it? Heh, if it was true that he really had been trying to run away… then that just proved that he was a fool… Yeah. He really had been an idiot back then, hadn't he? He was just glad now that all that was over now…

Sasuke's smile wilted a bit. As memories of past time slowly dissipated, he was left once more to think of the events that had happened earlier that night. There was nothing to it. He was forced to think about what had happened that night if he wanted to get some sleep. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he got all of this out of his system. He had to decide now what he was going to tell Sakura. He had to decide how he was going to act around her, and what he was going to do. But right now, only one thought crossed his mind.

"_Ever since before, Sakura was everything to Naruto. And it remains until today."_ He sighed. All he could think of right now was the feelings the blond had for the kunoichi. He couldn't concentrate. Subconsciously, a conclusion was slowly beginning to form itself in the brunette's head…

"_Perhaps Naruto and Sakura really were meant for each other. He cares for her so much, and I know that if Sakura could just learn to let me go, she would be able to get along much better with Naruto…"_

Bowing his head, Sasuke thought some more.

"_Whatever it is, they make a much better pair than I could ever wish to be with either of them… Especially Naruto… I don't deserve him… I'm not worthy of him…"_

There. He had admitted it. Those were Sasuke's deepest thoughts. He was unworthy. He always felt he didn't deserve all he had now. Most of all, he felt he didn't deserve Naruto. No matter how much he loved the blond, he could never bring himself to confess his true feelings. Because he felt he didn't deserve it. He had tried to kill him for heaven's sake! The blond had always treated him well, done everything for him… but Sasuke… He felt that he'd never done a single thing that could help the blond. All he'd ever done, was bring trouble to the blond. All the wrong deeds that he had committed… His very existence was a bother…

"_I'm not worthy…"_ those words had always repeated themselves in his head whenever he felt an urge to confess his true feelings. All the guilt he felt for everything he had done… It had held him back for many years. And these same words would hold him back for many more years to come until the day he died. He could never tell the blond. He would never allow himself to. The blond would only reject him, and he would be hurt even more. And even if by any small chance the blond did accept him, he felt that it wasn't right. Even if the blond could accept him, he could never accept himself. He could never make Naruto happy, the way Sakura could… and so he kept his feelings to himself. He contented himself by watching the blond from afar and just by being his best friend. Those private moments they shared together, those heartfelt talks they had about their feelings, it was all he could ever get and that was all he needed. Making sure Naruto was always happy was enough. Yeah. He knew it was a dumb thing to do but sometimes, true love didn't need reason. He was happy if the one he loved was happy…

Suddenly, the brunette thought of something, and he froze. The conclusion that had begun forming in his head since the past few minutes were now so obvious. His eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him. The only sound that could be heard now was the soft ticking of the alarm clock from the table beside him and the sound of his own racing heartbeat. He swallowed thickly as he slowly formed a plan in his mind. All Sasuke wanted now, was for the people closest to him to be happy…

"_I only want Naruto to be happy… and Sakura too…"_

An idea had popped in the genius shinobi's mind. He remembered the words that the blond had uttered earlier.

Flashback

"_If I were you, having Sakura-chan would be like a dream come true… I could never ask for anything more…"_

End Flashback

Would the blond really be happy if he had Sakura? Naruto's words at that time… they had sounded sincere, although Naruto had been raving like a lunatic when he had said that, and it didn't matter anyway whether he had meant those words or not. The young Uchiha had always known that Naruto was infatuated with their pink haired teammate.

"_Would he really be happy with her…?"_

Sasuke's eyebrows creased as he thought further. On the other hand, Sakura was also in a very vulnerable state now. She needed someone to look after her. It was the perfect chance. This seemed to be the best thing to do… Sasuke felt his heart sink as the 'conclusion' became clearer and clearer to him.

"_Perhaps… what they need the most now… is each other."_

The raven haired boy could still remember the scene where his two teammates had embraced with Naruto comforting the kunoichi. He still remembered his thoughts then. He had thought then that his two teammates were meant for each other… The boy started to tremble as he sunk deeper underneath his covers, burying his face in the sheets.

"_Maybe… maybe this is the way it should be…"_

Feeling a pang in his heart again as he felt his emotions rising once more, Sasuke resigned himself to his fate. He had decided. If this was what he had to do for the sake of both his teammates' happiness, for the sake of Naruto's happiness, he would do it. Even if it meant pushing the one he loved to another… This was for the best. After all… he could never dream of himself in a future with Naruto… it was impossible. On the other hand, he knew that if Naruto and Sakura started a relationship, it would definitely work. He just knew it. The two were just perfect for each other! And so, his mind was made up. Tomorrow, he would see Sakura. And also, starting tomorrow, he would put his plan in action. His plan to bring Naruto and Sakura together. It was for the best after all, wasn't it? That way, everyone would be happy… Well, almost everyone anyway… Feeling more miserable than ever, the Uchiha heir tried to convince himself that this was the best thing to do. He didn't care. He _tried_ not to care. He had already decided. He was going to get them together no matter what. It didn't matter how he felt.

"_As long as you're happy, Naruto… I'll do anything…"_

The dark haired boy once again buried his head in the pillows, trying to will the ache that had started once again in his heart to go away. With that decision made, he finally knew what he had to do. Tomorrow would be a new day. He knew what he had to do now, and he planned to do it, no matter what the cost… It's the only thing that Sasuke felt he could do for his friends now, to repay them, after everything that he had put them through before this. Not only for Naruto, but for Sakura too. This was for the both of them… He loved his friends and his only wish now, was for them to be happy. And if the cost of their happiness was his own, then so be it. That was all… And with that, the raven haired boy was finally, mercifully granted the wish to fall asleep where his problems were non-existent. However, he had a troubled sleep that night as the chilly wind outside beat across the windows as if to highlight the doom that Sasuke had subjected himself to since the moment he decided to give up his heart for the sake of his friends' happiness. The Uchiha rolled once more in his bed, forehead wrinkled as he frowned in his sleep. The only time where the dark haired boy's true emotions could be seen… was in his sleep. No one was there to see as a lone tear slid down the fair, smooth skin nor did anyone hear the soft, desperate whisper that was uttered with sadness and despair in the cold of the night.

"_Naruto…"_

Tomorrow would be a new day… And the wheels of fate, has started to turn…

End Chapter Four

A/N Sorry for this long and tedious chapter. I know it's boring but I felt that I just had to fit it in somewhere. It's an important part as it explains much of Sasuke's feelings and what he thinks. It also explains my own version of what happened throughout the whole Orochimaru ordeal. Hehe There are probably many mistakes in this chapter. I had to do it in a hurry. College is bombarding me with work again. Whatever it is, reviews please!


	5. Chapter 5

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 07/03/06 3.40 am**

A/N I'm finally done. This chapter took longer then I expected to write. Well, here it is. Thanks to all the reviewers in the previous chapter. You guys are the best. This chapter is for all of you.

Chapter Five

Light. It was morning again in the peaceful village of Konoha. Rays of sunlight were streaming through the windows of the Haruno household. A lone figure was lying still beneath the sheets, seemingly asleep, in a bed in one of the bedrooms in the house.

As the early morning sunshine started to creep further into the bedroom, the figure started to steer. The rays of sunlight were now up to the bed, occupied by the now moving figure.

Sakura could feel the sunlight upon herself. The golden rays had managed to reach the foot of her bed and she could feel it warming her feet up. But the warmth that she felt on her feet did not reach up to her heart. She was cold. Cold since two days ago, when it all ended…

Slowly, she opened her eyes and revealed dull, dark eyes. Eyes that looked as if the light had been put out for good. There were shadows underneath those eyes, evidently showing that yet another sleepless night had passed for the pink haired girl. She looked around the room blankly.

"_No. Everything's the same as yesterday… Nothing has changed…"_

Feeling the misery welling up in within her again, the young kunoichi turned to her side and curled up in a ball, pulling the sheets tighter around herself. She didn't feel like getting up today. Much the same like yesterday. She wanted to just be under the covers of her bed and hide. A shelter from her problems and troubles. Such a sanctuary from what her life truly felt like now. It was amazing what a broken dream can do to a person.

The girl just lay in bed as her room grew brighter. The sun was rapidly rising outside but she refused to get up. She hadn't eaten anything the whole of yesterday, and for the past few days too for that matter, but she didn't feel hungry at all. She didn't want to get up. She knew she was hurting herself physically. She could already feel the effects of her own self-abuse. Her body felt weak and she felt as if the energy had been drained out of her. Even so, she still didn't care. It didn't seem important anymore. Her well-being, it was all meaningless. She felt as if she had lost the purpose of living. Useless and unwanted. She couldn't care less what happened to her now. She was worthless after all. Her whole life was worthless…

Naruto had been here yesterday to try to cheer her up. Although it didn't work, Sakura understood and she appreciated his concern. But his concern was not what she wanted now. He wasn't the one she wanted to care for her. And she felt frustrated because of that. She had taken her anger out unfairly on Naruto and she felt guilty for that. She knew he was a very good friend and cared for her very much. Possibly more than her other teammate cared for her… and that only served to remind her how meaningless her life was now. She wanted to blame somebody. She wanted to let it all out on somebody. Her emotions which were bottled inside for so long were all spilling out in waves of fury at anyone nearby. And that anyone just happened to be Naruto.

"_Well. It's his fault. I never asked for his help anyway… I know he cares, but, he's not the one I want… and I can't help myself from shouting at him. Just to take everything out on him. I can't help it. His caring for me is like mocking me. Mock me because I can't get the care from the one person I truly want…"_

The pink haired girl rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillows. She just laid there on the fluffy cushions. Her head felt heavy. So heavy that she couldn't even lift it. Burying her face deeper, she realized that she couldn't breathe. The pillow was suffocating her. She tried to move her head up but failed. She felt dizzy, she was starting to feel weak from the lack of air.

"_Great. Maybe I'll just die here… Suffocating in my own pillow…"_

She felt weak. She didn't have the energy nor the will to pull herself up. Maybe she _should_ just die here.

Knock knock.

Sakura's head was starting to spin. She couldn't breathe.

Knock knock.

She swore that if she looked at herself in the mirror now, her face would be purple.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Eh? Was that a knock on the door?

KNOCK KNOCK.

Yes it was. Hearing the knock on the front door, her head instinctively moved upwards a bit. Ah, air was rushing back into her lungs.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

The person at the door was getting impatient. She should get the door now but she didn't feel like meeting anyone. No. She wanted to just wallow in her self-pity. She wanted to be left alone. Her head started to drop back onto the pillows.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Gee… that person at the door really has a short temper. That idiot is making hell of a lot of noise. Couldn't that person take a hint? Didn't the fool realize that she just wanted to be left alone?

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Okay! Okay! I'll get it already. And with an almighty effort, the kunoichi rose up from her bed, swaying as she tried to stand upright. She made her way unsteadily to the front door of her house.

What an annoying idiot. Coming to bother her so early in the morning when she didn't have the mood. Why couldn't everybody just leave her alone? She felt annoyed. Why won't everyone leave me to my own misery? Well, I DO owe him for saving me from suffocating in my pillow though… She sighed as she made her way to the door, crossing the hallway and downstairs to the front door. As she made her way downstairs, she felt weird. Her body didn't seem to move properly anymore and the world was spinning.

"_Whoever knew that one day, this would happen to me…?"_ she thought as an image of a certain dark haired boy appeared in her mind. As she reached the door, her face was a mask of indifference. She had every intention to turn the person, whoever it was, away. She didn't feel like talking to anybody, and she didn't want anybody's help either. She just wanted to be left alone.

Steadying herself, Sakura stood up straight and faced the door bravely. Her mask was set in place as her determination to steer the person away from the house was set in within her, a shadow of Sakura's strong will before she fell into this nightmare. Finally, she took her place, and opened the door, ready to do what she had planned to do, and also ready to yell if she had to.

Looking up, her mask almost immediately crumbled into a look of surprise. Her body went stock still as she stared into the face of the intruder. She was in shock. Of all the people to be visiting her, this was the last person she thought she'd see. She'd thought that he'd never wanted to see her again. Green eyes widened. She couldn't speak. She was in total disbelief.

Standing there at the entrance to the Haruno house, was a tall, young shinobi with dark hair and matching dark eyes. He stared back into Sakura's own shocked eyes before greeting her.

"Good morning, Sakura…"

Finally managing to find her voice, the pink haired girl only managed to rasp out two words.

"Sasuke… kun…"

* * *

Sakura sat on the couch in the living room, watching intently as her 'visitor' prepared some tea for himself and for Sakura too. She still hadn't gotten over the shock. She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the Uchiha, sitting in the couch opposite hers as he poured hot tea from the teapot, into two different mugs. The pink haired girl merely stared uncertainly at the boy, examining him closely. He was clad in his usual clothes, a matching dark blue shirt and pants. It looked like he planned to go training later.

As he finished with his tea-making, he held out one of the mugs filled with the steaming, hot tea to her. She stared at the cup of tea that he held out, not moving. Lifting her gaze, she met a pair of dark eyes which held an expression of indifference.

"Sakura, drink this."

A pause. It had sounded more like an order than anything else, but there was a hint of gentleness in that order. Sakura then obliged and took the beverage from him. She hesitated awhile before she started to take small sips of the tea. It tasted good.

She looked at the boy in front of her as she drank. He had set his own mug of tea down on the table and was currently staring at her. The female shinobi's heart started to beat faster.

"_Could it be…? He changed his mind about me…?"_ she thought, hope rising quickly in her heart with every moment that passed.

Did her prayers get answered? Had he really come back to her? Thought after thought crossed through her mind as she just sat there. He was still staring at her. She started to feel herself getting embarrassed. Wishing that she had tidied herself, do something about her rumpled clothes and hair maybe, she continued to drink. Her misery was slowly ebbing away as her soul was slowly being pulled out of the darkness. She saw a ray of light in this recent turn of events. She still had a chance! There was still hope!

Pulling herself away from her fantasies, she stared back at the boy shyly. "Um… Sasuke-kun… Why… are you looking at me that way?" she asked innocently.

Realizing that he had been staring at her, the black haired boy blushed slightly, but it quickly disappeared. The Uchiha had apparently mastered the ability to keep his emotions in check whenever he wanted to. He turned away, picking up his own mug of tea to further disguise his embarrassment.

"No. It's nothing."

A few moments passed in silence. Then, setting his mug of tea down again, Sasuke reached out for the medium-sized, square box that was set on the table. He had brought it himself, as a gift for the girl. It was a box-full of the best-tasting sushi in the village. Sakura stared at it questioningly.

"A gift for you. Have some." With that, he immediately opened the box, revealing the delicious looking Japanese delicacies. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he handed it to Sakura and took another pair for himself. Seeing that Sakura wasn't moving, Sasuke took the lead as he picked one of the sushi and put it in his mouth.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, his eyebrows lifted as he munched on his sushi. "It tastes good."

Sakura sat still for a couple of moments as she stared at the food laid out in front of her. Slowly, she nodded her head slightly and reached out into the sushi box with her chopsticks. Picking one of the sushi, she slowly put it in her mouth as she started to eat.

As she ate, she felt herself liking the food. Sasuke was right. The sushi _was_ good. She had only just realized how hungry she truly was now that she was sitting here and eating. Soon enough, she finished the whole box of sushi. Sasuke had been reduced to only watching her after he finished his first piece of sushi as she demolished the rest of the box. Sakura was obviously very hungry as she hadn't noticed nor bothered about the fact that she had finished the whole box of sushi by herself.

As Sakura put down her chopsticks, a hidden smile spread slightly on Sasuke's face. He felt happy. He had managed to get the girl to eat something. At least that was a start. As the girl finished her food, the ebony haired boy quickly cleared up the table and headed towards the kitchen. Throwing the now empty box into the trash can, he made his way back into the Haruno living room. Already Sakura was regaining the colour and glow in her skin. She looked happy to see him there. Her face started to regain life once again.

Settling down on the couch, Sasuke diverted his attention towards his female friend. He looked at the girl, who was now fidgeting in her seat, and examined her up and down. She looked fine to him now. Well, maybe not totally fine, but he could see that she looked slightly better, and happier, compared to when he first saw her when he arrived.

"Ano… arigato Sasuke-kun…"

"Hmm?"

"About the sushi, it was good. Thanks."

"It's fine."

After a few moments of silence, in which both of them stared at each other, Sakura finally asked.

"Ne… Sasuke-kun? If you don't mind me asking… why are you here today?"

Sasuke's gaze sharpened on her. He didn't answer. Seeing this, Sakura immediately turned red. Panicking, she quickly added.

"I..Iie! I didn't mean to sound r..rude…or anything. I was just… wondering…"

She was fully aware that the boy's dark eyes were boring into her. Blushing even more, if that was possible, she dropped her eyes to the ground. Caught up in her own embarrassment, she almost didn't notice when her male companion answered her question.

"The reason I'm here this morning… It was because I was told that you weren't taking care of yourself."

The pink haired girl looked up in surprise. He was told what? That hadn't been the answer that she had been expecting. She was expecting him to say things like, how worried he had been about her or he had decided that he had made a wrong decision that day he rejected her or something along those lines. She didn't expect him to say that he had been _told_ that she was _not_ taking care of herself. It made her sound weak. It made her sound like a kid who was causing unnecessary problems. As if Sasuke had been _forced_ to be here because of that. And she didn't like that thought. She frowned.

"_Well, it doesn't matter anyway. As long as he's here, that means that he _does_ care, right?"_ Deciding that the Uchiha being here was the most important thing of all, she quickly pushed any negative thoughts to the back of her head.

"Sou ka. Who told you anyway?"

"Naruto." The short and simple answer was uttered.

Of course! Who else could it be? Only Naruto knew of her condition now. Why didn't she notice it earlier? That idiot! What was he trying to do! Her face was contorted in a furious scowl as she realized that the blond had been the one to tell on her. She was enraged as hints of Inner Sakura made an appearance in her mind's eye.

"_Naruto… Wait till I get my hands on you!"_

* * *

Sasuke looked at the girl seated in the couch in front of him. She looked angry about something. He wondered why though. Feh. Girls. He never did understand them anyway.

After his meeting with Naruto from the night before, he had made good on his promise to come and visit Sakura. He had come straight here first thing in the morning. Well, after he made a stop at that restaurant that sold the sushi of course. After all, if he was going to see Sakura and get her out of her dark reverie, he might as well help her start recovering from her self-abuse immediately. Not to forget, they still had that mission with Kakashi-sensei tomorrow. Sakura had better get well or she'll be a hazard to herself and also to the team during the mission.

Sasuke let out his breath as he remembered the _other_ vow that he had made just the night before. The vow to get both of his teammates together, for the sake of their happiness… Ignoring his own needs, he had decided that the first thing he should do to help them become closer, was through gentle prodding first. He would give them a push in the back towards each other. Talking to them first would be a good start as the idea of immediately shoving them into each others arms didn't seem plausible. Perhaps he could hint at them how similar they both were, and how much they actually cared for one another. Then maybe they'll realize how right they really were for one another… or so Sasuke thought. Well, not that it was a problem in Naruto's case. The blond had already made plain that he cared a lot about their female teammate and would only be too happy to get together with her. The problem was with Sakura now. And that was the other reason Sasuke was here this morning. He would start his plan with her first.

Breaking back out of his thoughts, he noticed that the girl was still fuming in her seat. He seriously wondered what had angered her so much. Perhaps he'd said something wrong? Well, anger was a good thing now, coming from her. At least she was gaining back some of her old self again. With that, the sharingan heir decided to break the silence enveloping them now.

"Sakura?"

At the sound of his voice, Sakura came back down to reality. Her eyes focusing on him, she gave a bright smile and decided then to just forget about her anger at Naruto for telling on her. Even if Naruto _had_ told on her, she was grateful in a way. Because Sasuke was here now, and that alone was worth anything.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke sighed. She looked cheerful. _Too_ cheerful. She almost looked perfectly normal again, beaming at him like she always did. He was starting to get worried. She was recovering at an abnormally quick speed just because of his presence alone. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea again. Deciding that he had better make it clear before it was too late and she got her hopes up again, he immediately started to speak in a colder voice.

"Don't misunderstand, Sakura. I'm not here because of any other reason. I'm only here to make sure you take care of yourself."

Sakura's smile froze at his tone of voice. However, she continued to smile stiffly as she replied.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun? I'm not misunderstanding anything." She smiled serenely.

Unaffected by that supposed-to-be angelic look, Sasuke opened his mouth to answer back but was cut off.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to worry. I understand. You're only here as a friend," Sakura said calmly in a reassuring voice.

Sasuke looked at her for awhile. The girl was smiling innocently at him. He then sank back into the couch, apparently satisfied with the pink haired girl's reassurance.

Sakura smiled. She decided inwardly that she would just go along with what the Uchiha wanted, for now. There was no way that she would ever give up on him if there's even the slightest shred of hope. But if he insisted on being friends now, she would oblige. She wasn't going to make the mistake of being too aggressive in her feelings and chasing him off again. She would take it slowly this time. She felt so much better now. It was as if she had been reborn again with another chance to be with the one she loved. Hope had filled her once more.

There was a long pause as the two teammates sat together in silence. Sakura was just about to offer Sasuke more tea as his had turned cold, when Sasuke spoke up.

"Sakura… There's something else I need to talk to you about."

Sakura sat up straight. There was a serious edge in Sasuke's voice. Wondering what else the Uchiha could possibly want to talk about, she nodded her head as a gesture for the boy to continue talking.

There was another pause in which Sakura could only wait patiently in her seat, not daring to move. And then, the dark haired boy started to speak again.

"What do you think about Naruto?"

"What?" Sakura was surprised. Of all the things that she had expected to hear from the Uchiha, Naruto was at the bottom of the list. Naruto? Why the sudden interest in Naruto? The girl was puzzled. Brushing off the small feelings of suspicion that had started to form, the girl contemplated deeply on the question. If Sasuke wanted to know, then she would just answer him. She won't question his actions.

Sakura kept silent for awhile as she thought. This wasn't the first time that Sasuke had asked her this question. He had first asked her this years back, when they were still genins. Well, not Sasuke, really. She had later found out that the person who had asked her that question was actually the blond himself. He had disguised himself as her raven haired crush. Back then, Sakura had said that Naruto was annoying. But today, she had a different answer.

"Naruto… He's… a really good friend. He always does all he can for the ones he cares about. I mean, I used to think he was annoying, and he still is actually, but not in a bad way. Now, he's the nicest friend anyone could wish to have… He's honest, and sincere and also very dumb and lost at times, but that just makes him himself," Sakura said with a fond smile before falling silent. There were a lot of other things in Naruto that just could not be expressed in words. He was special and too unpredictable. But those were also his unique traits.

"Sou ka," Sasuke said. He kept quiet again as he stared at the air in front of him. Unnerved and curious as to the strangeness of the Uchiha's actions, Sakura dared herself to voice out what she wanted to know.

"Ano… Sasuke-kun… Why… did you suddenly ask me about Naruto?"

The boy looked up at her, eyebrow raised. "No reason," was his curt reply.

Moments more passed by in silence. Sakura didn't believe his answer one bit but did not dare to question the boy further. Suddenly, the boy himself spoke up.

"Actually, there is a reason."

Slowly, his eyes lifted from where it had been directed on the floor to meet green ones, which had dulled considerably during the past two days, but was slowly regaining its brightness.

The Uchiha stared seriously into the green eyes of the girl. His gaze was hypnotizing, and Sakura felt herself unable to pull away from his intense stare. She listened intently at what he had to say.

"To be honest…" he began before continuing hesitantly. "The thing that I wanted to say about Naruto…"

Sakura nodded slightly to encourage him to go on. "Hai. About Naruto? What is it?"

Gulping discreetly, the Uchiha willed himself to put into action what he had planned.

"Hai. Naruto. I… I think that you should consider his feelings for you." A simple sentence that conveyed what he wanted to say. It was straight to the point and he had finally said it directly to the kunoichi.

Sakura stared blankly at the dark haired boy. What was he saying? This is a joke, right? She couldn't possibly have heard him correctly.

"…What…?"

Feeling a bit annoyed, the boy gave her a glare. Wasn't what he had said clear enough? Did she want to make him repeat himself when it was difficult enough just saying it once?

"I'm serious, Sakura. You should consider getting together with Naruto."

The pink haired girl was dumbstruck. She couldn't move or speak. The shock of what Sasuke had said couldn't sink in yet. Finding her voice, she managed to mumble a few things.

"What? You're… joking… Can't be serious… Don't know what you're… talking about…"

"I do know what I'm talking about, Sakura and so do you."

Snapping out of her shock, the seventeen year old female chuunin immediately reacted.

"Sasuke-kun! You can't really think that I would consider Naruto, can you? I mean, Naruto is nice and all, but it's really not like that…"

"Why not?" Sasuke asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Because it's just not possible! I've known Naruto for so long, but there's really no way…!" she started but was cut off again by the Uchiha's piercing gaze.

"Again, why not?" he asked coldly, hands crossed. "You, more than anybody, should know how he feels about you."

'I… I do know! But I can't…! He's… he's Naruto! You can't expect me to be with him!"

"There's no reason for you not to be with him." A moment's hesitation. Then he continued.

"I've seen the two of you. You look perfect together. He's exactly what you need now. He loves and cares about you a lot, and I can tell that you'd do well with him."

"No!" Sakura let out a frustrated huff, pink eyebrows creased. Wait. Why was Sasuke saying all this? She stared at his face. If she looked carefully, there was a look of discomfort on his face and also, he looked exasperated. Wait a minute. Could it be…?

"Oh, I get it," she suddenly said with a laugh. "You think I should pick Naruto and be with him instead of you. Don't worry, Sasuke. I have said that I will always be by your side. I'll never be with anyone else, least of all Naruto."

Apparently, that had been quite the wrong thing to say. The raven haired boy was glaring at her very coldly now. His eyes had a steely glint in it.

"Don't be so full of yourself. What makes you think I would want to be with you?" he replied in a dangerous voice. He didn't care that he was supposed to be cheering her up. He didn't care at the moment if she went back into her moody, dark reverie. How dare she talk like that about Naruto! Didn't she know how lucky she was? Lucky to have Naruto love her that way… He felt a surge of jealously rush through him and quickly fought to suppress it. With an almighty effort to keep his temper in check, he continued. "Didn't I make it clear? We're only friends now."

Sakura clearly hadn't noticed that the Uchiha was now in a rather sour mood. Caught up in her own confusion and denial, she was unable to take it all, and burst out.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun! You know I'll never pick Naruto! As long as there's you I never want to be with anyone else! I could never give you up! NEVER! I love you, Sasuke-kun!"

Her eyes, which were full of tears by now, shone as she reached her hand forward to grab at the Uchiha, but she was roughly shaken off by the boy.

"Sakura! You're forgetting yourself. I have already made it clear that we don't have any chance at all. It is futile."

Sakura gripped her fists tightly, she wasn't satisfied.

"I don't care. All I know is that I want to be with you, and nothing can take that away from me if I can help it."

With that, she reached out to hug the boy opposite her but he pushed her away. Not affected, the girl kept struggling to latch herself onto the boy's arm.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun! Please! Please! Give me a chance. I love you so much!"

Slightly hysterical, the girl struggled to hold onto the Uchiha. She became more and more aggressive as she tried to hug the Uchiha tighter.

Meanwhile, the raven haired boy irately tried to push the girl away from him but she wasn't letting up. He started to panic. Sakura's strength was not something to be made fun of, especially since her training under Tsunade-sama. She was getting too close for his comfort. Wait, was she… was she trying to _rub_ her body on his? Finally, his patience wore thin. With a growl of annoyance, he roughly shoved Sakura's whole body - which had been pressing closer and closer to him - away.

Sakura's eyes widened from her position on the couch in which she had been thrown back on. She saw the Uchiha get up. Immediately, she got up onto her feet too.

"Where are you going, Sasuke-kun?"

The boy turned an annoyed eye at her before replying with an icy-cold glare on his face.

"Home." At that point of time, Sasuke didn't care that his attempt to get her and Naruto together had failed miserably. So what if his plan didn't work out today? He could always try another time. Now, all he wanted was to leave until the girl came back to her senses.

On the other hand, Sakura was horrified to hear that Sasuke wanted to leave. Panicking, she started to apologize.

"Please don't go, Sasuke-kun! Oh no. What have I done? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I don't know what came over me… Please don't go!"

However, her pleads and protests fell on deaf ears as the now very irate Uchiha made his way out of the house. He was totally ignoring the frantic girl.

"Sasuke-kun! Please! Don't go! Don't leave me again! I'll do anything! I'll do whatever you want if you just don't go!"

At those words, the raven haired boy froze in his tracks. A moment passed in which neither of them moved. It was as if time had stopped. And then, the Uchiha slowly turned around and looked straight into the tear-stricken face of his pink haired friend as she stood staring at him pleadingly from the living room.

"You'd do… anything?" he asked in a soft voice.

Sakura immediately nodded her head. "Yes. Whatever you want!"

The Uchiha was silent for a moment. Then, he nodded his head.

"Fine then. I will overlook… your actions today, if you promise to think about what I said just now… about Naruto."

The pink haired girl froze. "Eh…?"

"I am only asking you to think about it. I won't force you into anything. That's all." The dark haired boy's tone was cold as he said that.

Stating that, he was just about to turn back around when he paused again. Looking back at the girl who now stood rooted to the spot, he spoke once more.

"But this doesn't change the fact that I don't love you. There is no chance at all that we will ever be together. I'm sorry, but all we can ever be is friends. So, just… forget about me, alright? This fact will never change no matter how long you wait… I hope you can understand that… Sakura…"

Sakura was standing stock still. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. It was as if her world had stopped moving. Sasuke was still talking.

"I hope you will keep your promise… and think about what I've said just now… And also… please take care of yourself. Don't let this bring you down… You've got a bright future ahead… if you could just learn to let go… some things…"

He then turned on his heels, leaving the girl behind to think things over. Slowly, he made his way to the front door, his footsteps echoing throughout the silent house. When he reached the door, he put his hand on the doorknob and paused yet again. Without looking backwards this time, he voiced out the last of the words in his mind before leaving.

"Naruto… is the best person for you, you know that? He… really loves you… He would care for you… and make you happy, in a way I would never be able to… if you would just give him the chance…"

His words had a tender feel to them as he talked. Gentle and meaningful. He then turned the doorknob and opened the door. In less than two seconds, he was gone.

Sakura slowly slid down to her knees. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open slightly. Her mind was currently having problems processing all the information. Slowly, her brain decided to function again. She felt… empty. Once again, she was rejected by the one she loved. The tiny shred of hope that had appeared was wrenched away from her yet again. She had lost her chance. She had lost everything. And this time, her love had made it clear that she would never have another chance. That there never _was_ a chance for them to be together since the very beginning.

As misery and loneliness overtook her again, the kunoichi sobbed pitifully in her living room, all alone. She had lost. Everything she wanted, all her hopes, her dreams… they were gone…

As she sobbed, question after question crossed through her mind. Why didn't Sasuke feel the same for her? Why couldn't he understand what she felt for him? Why couldn't he even let her try? Questions of why this, why that, kept popping up in her mind one after another. She wished Sasuke could love her. She wished everything was just a nightmare… She continued to sob.

"_Sasuke-kun… Why…? Even until now, you can't accept me. Am I that unworthy for you? If only you could be here with me… If only you were the one who loved me… not Naruto…" _

Suddenly, the girl froze.

"_Naruto…?"_

Realization dawned on her. She felt herself becoming numb and then she started to get angry. Her face, which was covered with tear-stains, contorted in fury. Her eyes had a mad glint in them as she stared wildly around, the realization sinking in rapidly.

That's right. This was all Naruto's fault. Didn't Sasuke say that _Naruto_ had been the one to ask him to visit her? What was that idiot trying to do? Spoil her relationship with Sasuke further? Of course! That's _exactly_ what he was trying to do! Perhaps he thought he'd get a chance if he severed her relationship with Sasuke. Well, he succeeded! How could she have been so stupid!

She growled in rage, her fists were balled up. She had totally lost all sense of rational thinking in her anguish. Blaming Naruto seemed the easiest way out. Replacing her misery for anger, it was a way to escape. Although deep, deep down in a small crevice of her heart, she knew that Naruto was innocent. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. But that part of her heart was now being blocked by the fury she felt. The shock of being rejected once more had been too much for her and all rational thoughts had ceased in her brain for now.

"_Naruto… How dare you! HOW DARE YOU? And to think I trusted you!"_

With an almighty cry of fury, she lifted her fists and slammed it down hard on the living room table. The teapot, tea mugs along with the scalding hot tea and everything else which had also been on the table, all crashed onto the floor and smashed into a million pieces as the living room table broke. All four wooden legs of the table flew in different directions as the legs gave way under Sakura's merciless attack. It was proof of how strong she had become under Tsunade-sama's training.

Even with all the noise created when the items all crashed onto the floor, Sakura barely noticed. Her state of mind now bordered on the brink of insanity. She wasn't even thinking straight anymore. At the moment, she could only think of one thing.

"_Naruto… How dare you betray me! I'll kill you! I'll DEFINITELY kill you!"_

* * *

"Another bowl of chicken ramen please!" rang the familiar voice of the noisiest ninja in Konoha.

"Hai! One more chicken ramen coming up!" answered the ramen-ojiisan.

It was late morning in the village of Konoha and business was running as usual at the Ichiraku's ramen stall. Uzumaki Naruto, whom had been training all morning since dawn, was treating himself to his favourite meal of all time as a reward for his hard work.

Naruto stared impatiently at the ojiisan's back as he waited for his ramen to be ready. He planned to go back to training for awhile more after his lunch break since tomorrow was the day of Team Seven's mission. He had to prepare himself. But he didn't want to overdo it either. It wouldn't do to tire himself out on the day before the mission, would it?

As he waited, he smiled happily. He felt so at peace with himself. The talk the night before with Sasuke had really helped him calm down. Sasuke had promised that he would visit Sakura and even talk her out of her gloom if possible. Naruto was content. All he wanted was for his friends to be cheerful always. Watching Sakura hurt herself like that had been painful. But he trusted Sasuke. The raven haired boy had assured Naruto that he would do what he could to help Sakura, and Naruto believed him. Sasuke was his closest friend after all, and he would never let Naruto down. Perhaps at this very moment Sasuke was already with Sakura and talking her out of her slump. Maybe he's even succeeded already!

Smiling more to himself, he wondered what were his two best friends in the world doing right now. He felt truly cheerful today, a total opposite of last night. Sasuke could really be such a good friend at times and those special talks with him always helped calm him down, even though Sasuke mostly acts like a selfish bastard all the time.

"_Well, whatever it is, as long as Sakura is back to normal I'll be happy."_

Naruto broke out of his thoughts as his bowl of chicken ramen was set down in front of him. Immediately after that, the blond indulged himself once again in his beloved ramen, enjoying himself thoroughly.

Minutes later, the bowl of ramen finished, a very full and satisfied Naruto paid his bill. Getting up, he started to walk towards the training grounds once again with his hands on his stomach.

"Mmmm. That was a great meal!" he exclaimed to himself. As he turned into another street - which was quite empty and only had worn down shops - he bumped into a very familiar person.

"Oof!" he exclaimed when he bumped himself pretty hard into the other person. "Ah! Gomen…!" Naruto immediately reached out to help steady the other person before said person fell down.

As he held the person carefully, the blond was surprised when he finally noticed who he had almost knocked down.

"Sakura-chan!"

The blond looked down at the shorter girl. This was a pleasant surprise. Sakura was out on the streets. Just yesterday, she had refused adamantly whenever Naruto suggested that they went out to take a walk. Did this mean she was okay now? Sasuke sure did a good job then. As he observed the girl closer, he noticed that she still held signs of tiredness from the self-abuse that she had subjected herself to for the past few days. But she was up and about now. That was a good sign, right?

"Ano… Sakura-chan? Are you okay now? What are you doing here?"

No reply came from the pink haired girl. The blond frowned. There was something weird about Sakura. She was refusing to meet his eyes and her face was facing towards the ground. What was wrong now?

"Sakura-chan? Are you alright? Is there something wrong?"

Again, no answer. Feeling extremely confused, the blond furrowed his eyebrows even more. Hadn't Sasuke talked to her yet? If he did, then why was she this way? Moreover, why had she suddenly decided to come out of her house when yesterday she was so against going out? Not understanding it at all, the boy with the bright blue eyes asked again.

"Sakura-chan? What's wrong now? Is something bothering you? Didn't Sasuke come see you yet?"

When he said those words, Sakura's head immediately snapped up. Her bright green eyes blazing with fury, she glared at the spiky haired boy. Her body became tense. Surprised by this reaction Naruto, who was still holding her arms to support her, immediately let go. Innocently he asked further, not knowing that he was making the girl in front of him even more enraged with every word he said.

"What… what is it, Sakura-chan? Did I do something wrong…?"

The girl continued to glare at him as she finally opened her mouth and spoke.

"… Sasuke-kun… came to see me this morning."

Hearing that statement, the blond's face broke out in a 'pleasantly surprised' kind of look.

"He did? That's good then!"

"……"

"I mean, that's great, you know. Because that would mean that he kept his word to me about visiting you. That's good because it means that he cares about you. So how did it go? Are you feeling better? Are you guys alright now?" the blond asked curiously, his wide grin slowly spreading on his face.

There was a pause in which Sakura stood still. Her glare had faltered and her eyes were now on the ground. Naruto merely looked at her, waiting for her to say something and not noticing the change of mood the girl had. When Sakura finally looked up, there was a totally different look on her face. It was a very ugly look.

"So… it _was_ you who told him to come see me… And you're asking me if I'm alright…"

"Err… yeah… it was me who told him…" the blond still hadn't noticed the dangerous look the girl was giving him now. "You don't mind, do you? I didn't mean to tell him everything without your permission… I just thought I could help…"

Sakura gave him a weird look. Then she started laughing. Softly at first, but slowly it increased in volume. Naruto was starting to get worried. There was something seriously wrong with Sakura today.

"Sakura-chan… wha…?"

"Don't you Sakura-chan me!" the pink haired girl said in a high-pitched voice. Naruto froze. There was a wild look in the girl's eyes. A mad look. She continued to scream at him.

"You're always nosing in on people's business. Every time! Help me? Don't pretend! I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make things worse between Sasuke-kun and me, aren't you? What the hell were you doing, telling him to come to me like that! Or had you planned it all along? You're probably happy now that you've succeeded in breaking us up! Sasuke-kun doesn't want me anymore. It's because of you that I've lost him! I've lost him for good! And it's all because of you!"

Naruto was shocked. He hadn't expected this. What was Sakura talking about? He hadn't done anything wrong! Had he?

"Don't give me that idiotic look!" Sakura continued to yell at the poor blond. "I know what you're really thinking about. You're thinking how stupid I was to have fallen in your trap! You planned it all along! You sent Sasuke-kun to me knowing he'll break everything off with me! Well, if you thought that I'd go to you after I lost Sasuke-kun, you're wrong! I'll never ever be with you!"

At those words, something in Naruto was jarred and he came to himself.

"Sakura-chan! Wait! This is all a misunderstanding! I wasn't planning any-"

"You lie! I don't care. I won't listen to you anymore. And to think I trusted you! I was a fool to believe you…"

"But, Sakura-chan… you don't underst-"

SLAP. Sakura's hand flew and struck Naruto on the face, hard. Naruto's eyes widened and he stood stock still.

"SHUT UP! I don't want to hear it! I hate you, Naruto! You're annoying! Always getting in the way like that! You're a bother! Your very existence annoys me! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

Tears starting to fall from her eyes, Sakura turned and ran off, not looking back.

Naruto was standing still. He had been rendered completely immobile. He just stood there in the middle of the empty street, unmoving and lifeless. It was a good thing the street was deserted. Nobody saw the scene that had just happened. Moments passed by and still the boy didn't move. His brain had stopped functioning.

What the hell just happened? Why did Sakura act that way? What was she talking about? He hadn't planned anything! He wasn't trying to break them up! What made her think that? Slowly, his hand reached up to his cheek, where the girl that he loved had slapped him. He felt his eyes sting in an attempt to hold back his tears. There was a pain in his heart. The pain of rejection. The same pain that he had suffered for the most of his life. He never wanted to feel it again but here it was, biting cruelly at his battered heart. The words that his female teammate had uttered were hurtful. His cheek stung from the harsh strike, but the pain in his heart was all that he could feel.

"_Sakura-chan… why…? All I've ever done is to care about you… and every time… you just hate me more…"_

Sakura had always said that he was annoying, that he was always in the way. Was he really like that? Maybe he was… He just didn't understand it. All he did was try to help. He'd thought that Sakura would feel better if Sasuke had went to see her… and that was why he had requested for the dark haired boy to go and visit her… How did it become like this? Why did she say the things she did… He hadn't been trying to do anything… he really hadn't… Whatever made Sakura think that…?

As he started to drown himself in his misery, a realization dawned on him.

Unless… unless…. Sasuke! What the hell did that bastard say to Sakura! Feeling himself getting heated, all sorts of possibilities started forming in his mind.

"_Maybe that bastard told Sakura-chan things about me! Lies about me! It was all a trick! Maybe he was the one who told Sakura-chan that I was trying to break them up! Or at least make it look as if I was the culprit! Maybe he had been trying to sabotage me all along! Maybe he wanted to make Sakura-chan hate me! Was this his idea of a joke?" _

Naruto was furious. It's fine if that bastard hadn't really wanted to help Sakura. He didn't have to go and destroy the blond's friendship with Sakura. That bastard! Was this all a game to him? Didn't he care how people felt? Was he really so stuck-up?

As rage overtook the blond, his sense of logic was lost. He was so sure that Sasuke was the one behind it all. He forgot that he and Sasuke were the best of buds now. He forgot that he trusted Sasuke with his life. He forgot that Sasuke had changed, that Sasuke would never do anything to hurt him now. He forgot all that at this moment as he allowed his rage to consume him. The pain of rejection was getting to him. Lately, he hadn't felt that pain much as his friends had covered for the loneliness he used to feel as a kid. But right now, the slap he had received and the brutal words he had gotten from the girl he loved, was reminding him too much of the pain of his past. His body was reacting to find the best way possible to protect himself from that pain again. The easiest way to redirect that pain, is through anger. And its target, was Sasuke. Right now, during Naruto's momentary lapse of self-control, the only thing he could think about was the Uchiha's betrayal and his fury at the dark haired boy mounted.

"_Sasuke… you bastard!"_

* * *

Sasuke was packing his traveling bag in his room. He was getting ready for tomorrow's mission. Double checking to make sure he had all his weapons, some food and first-aid equipment in the small and convenient backpack, he set it on the table, all ready for the mission.

Resting his hand on the table, he sighed. The meeting with Sakura that morning had not gone very well. The girl was stubborn. Even up till the last minute, she still refused to let go. Well, as long as it all turned out well. Hopefully, he had managed to get his message across to her and she would consider getting together with Naruto. Then perhaps it would make it easier for her to let go of him. His two teammates would look good together. They needed each other, and Sasuke hoped that they would realize it soon. Especially Sakura.

Sighing again, the Uchiha turned around. It had been difficult for him to carry out his plan to bring his two friends together. He still couldn't bear to see his blue eyed boy be with somebody else but recently, he had realized that Naruto's happiness was the top priority, not his own feelings. Well, whatever happens, the sharingan heir wasn't going to let up so easily. He had vowed to get them together, and he'd make sure it happens. It was a mission.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He was about to leave the house again for some light training when suddenly there was a shadow coming in from the window. The Uchiha was surprised to see who it was.

"Naruto! What are you…?"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he had about a nanosecond to think before he felt a huge force on his left cheek as Naruto flew forwards and punched him. He had been taken by surprise, or else he wouldn't have gotten hit so easily. Thrown off his feet from the blow, Sasuke fell to the ground. Immediately recovering, the raven haired boy jumped back up and glared at the blond, who was now standing in the middle of his bedroom, eyes downcast.

"What the hell was that for!" the Uchiha demanded.

Naruto's head lifted to reveal enraged eyes.

"Bastard!"

"What the hell…?"

"You know very well what you did, Uchiha!"

"What _I_ did? Well, I'm sorry to say, _Uzumaki_, that I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!"

"Hah! As if! Don't act like you don't know!"

"Is that so? I'm sure as hell not acting here!"

Naruto snorted.

"You know very well what happened. What were you telling Sakura-chan this morning, huh? Sakura-chan just told me everything."

Sasuke was still. What? Could… could it be that Sakura had found out about his plan? Did she somehow realize Sasuke's plan to get them together? Did Sakura realize everything and had told the blond about it?

After thinking awhile, Sasuke was convinced that his plan had been found out. Maybe that was it. That's why Naruto was acting so weird. Even so, he didn't have to be so angry, did he? After all, it was for Naruto's own benefit that Sasuke was even doing this.

"I don't see what you're so angry about…"

"Angry? Hah! So you admit that you did it!" Naruto glared at him.

"Yes I did! But I was only trying to help the both of you!"

Naruto was shocked. There. Right there was a confession. Sasuke had admitted that he had been the one who did everything. Sasuke was the one who told Sakura lies about him, who made Sakura hate Naruto. Naruto couldn't believe it.

"You… you really did it?" the blue eyed boy's voice was faint.

Sasuke felt afraid at the look on Naruto's face. It was full of disbelief and… disappointment? Sasuke was feeling very doubtful now. Was what he did really that bad?

"I… I didn't think you would have minded…"

Naruto was stunned.

"You didn't think I would have minded…?"

The blond was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He had never imagined that the Uchiha could be so heartless. Clearly, he had been wrong about him. In Naruto's current state of mind, he wasn't thinking right. All sense of rationality was failing him. He didn't even stop for a second to think that he may have been wrong. There was no room for doubt in him at all and he totally forgot about the trust that he had for the Uchiha. At that moment, he truly believed that Sasuke had betrayed him.

"I can't believe this, Sasuke. How could you have done this… and think that I wouldn't have minded…?"

Sasuke was seriously very worried now. Was what he did so terribly wrong? He just wanted to get Sakura and Naruto together. He'd thought Naruto had wanted to be with Sakura. Why was Naruto overreacting? Why did he seem so unhappy about it all?

"Was… what I did really that bad? I thought that's what you wanted…"

"How can you even say that, Sasuke…? I don't know what you said to Sakura-chan… but you've made her hate me. You made her think I was trying to break you two up… Did you think she could ever forgive me? You know she believes everything you say… and she loves you so much! How can you do this to me…? How can you make her hate me? How can you think that I would want that? She's everything to me. _Why_ did you have to make her hate me…?"

Tears were starting to burn in those big blue eyes again. He couldn't take it. He felt so betrayed. He had believed in Sasuke, had faith in him. He meant a lot to the blond. He was Naruto's best friend. But this clearly showed that Naruto… meant nothing to the Uchiha. He felt hurt. His very own best friend… didn't care about his feelings at all. And he had thought they'd understood each other. But now, he knew how wrong he had been. Naruto's thoughts were becoming more and more muddled as the seconds ticked by. The latest revelations were taking a toll on him. He didn't know what to think and this made him even more confused. Unable to think rationally, everything was a blur. He didn't know what to think or to believe in. His thoughts were a total and complete mess as the overwhelming emotions whirled around him.

On the other hand, Sasuke was confused now. What the hell was Naruto talking about? What's this about Sakura hating Naruto and thinking Naruto had tried to break Sakura and himself up? What's all this?

Slowly, Sasuke pieced everything together. It was complicated, and hell it was confusing but then suddenly, he started to see what was really going on. There were missing bits in the story that he had pieced together but he more or less guessed the full picture anyway. And his first reaction was of dismay. Oh no. This was all a mistake. There was a big misunderstanding.

"Hold on. Naruto. I never did anything to make Sakura hate you. I _didn't_ say anything to her to make her think that _you_ were trying to break _us_ up."

"Yeah, sure, sure…" Naruto said in disbelief. He felt absolutely miserable, thinking that his best friend had betrayed him.

"It's true! Listen Naruto! All I told her was that she and I could never be together. I never said that you had anything to do with it or anything like that."

"Uh-huh… Sure you didn't…"

This wasn't working. Naruto wasn't listening. Naruto was merely standing there, his eyes unfocused, tears falling slowly from his blue depths in misery. Sasuke hated it. He hated to see the blond boy cry. Immediately, Sasuke closed in the distance in between them and grabbed hold of Naruto's arms.

"Listen. Sakura must have misunderstood me. I didn't do anything of that sort. I would never do such a thing to you. I would never betray you…"

There was no reply from Naruto. He wasn't listening anymore. Sasuke started to shake the blond so that he would listen, but the spiky haired boy pushed him away, glaring at him.

"It doesn't matter what you say now. I'll never believe you. You've already admitted that you were the one who fed Sakura those… lies about me… whatever it was. Though, I can't understand it. Why would you do something like this? I thought I knew you better than that…"

"Naruto. That wasn't what I was admitting to! That was a misunderstanding. I was talking about-"

"Is this all just a game to you?" Naruto interrupted in a soft voice. "My feelings… you couldn't care less about how I felt and just went ahead and did whatever you fancied? What were you expecting to gain from doing something like this? Just for the fun of it? For your enjoyment?"

"No! Naruto-"

"Whatever. I'm not listening to any shit you've got to say now."

Sasuke fell silent. There was a dejected aura around the blond.

"Naruto…"

The blond was moving towards the window. Naruto felt so betrayed. He was in denial. Was everything he had a lie? He had lost Sakura… now he was going to lose Sasuke… again. Was he really doomed to loneliness? Did nobody care for him at all…? Lost in his own misery, Naruto's messed-up mind couldn't process all the things that had happened that day. If he did, maybe he would have realized that everything _really_ was just a misunderstanding… He slowly made his way out towards the window.

"Naruto…"

Sasuke immediately reached out again to hold him back. There was no way that he would let the blond go without explaining the situation. But when he tried to grab hold of Naruto's arms again, the boy evaded him roughly, slapping the Uchiha's hand away. Naruto glared at him furiously, his eyes reddening from the tears that still flowed from his eyes.

"Don't touch me!"

Sasuke was as still as stone. His hand which hung helplessly in the air after the blond had harshly deflected it, dropped to his side. The darker haired boy was in turmoil. His heart had twisted when Naruto avoided him like that. He couldn't react for fear of making the shorter boy angrier. He just stared as the boy that haunted his mind in his dreams, and even during waking hours continued to glare at him. Anger, rejection, disappointment, betrayal. All the emotions were so vividly visible in those beautiful blue eyes which were darkening with each passing moment. After awhile, the blond turned away, tears still falling from those bright eyes. Tears of betrayal. Naruto didn't move when he spoke again.

"I never thought you were this heartless, Sasuke. Did you even think for a second h.. how I would feel? What you did… it was all for your own amusement… Is that all you care about? Did you even think about me at all…? You don't give a damn about me, do you?" he paused here.

"You really are a cold bastard, you know that…" Naruto said finally in a voice so soft, it was barely audible. And with that he left the room. Jumping out of the window, he continued to run across the streets and up on the roofs of the buildings he passed. He didn't feel like seeing anyone right now. All he wanted to do now was to go home and forget everything.

"_Is that all you care about, Sasuke? Amusement… Entertainment… Something for you to play with when you feel like it… Promising me to help Sakura… then turn right around and betray me… I suppose you get some kind of sick pleasure seeing me suffer like this. After all, it's always been the same, hasn't it? My feelings were never important…"_

His tears flowed freely more and more now. The tears that he thought had dried up long ago since he'd met his friends, they were all coming out again. The blond quickly made his way back to his home. Away from everything that hurt him. He had been forcefully reminded of the emotions he'd experienced during his childhood days today. The loneliness and sadness… the rejection… It was all so clear in his memory now… Nobody ever liked him… nobody ever cared for him… and nobody ever will…

Back at the Uchiha manor, Sasuke groaned in frustration, dropping onto the floor, his back to the wall.

"_No, Naruto! It isn't like that! You're wrong! This isn't what you think it is…!"_

Sasuke glared at his own outstretched legs, his forehead wrinkling as he frowned. Just what the hell did Sakura tell him anyway? Did she misunderstand again? Sasuke growled in annoyance. He hated it. He hated it when he made Naruto cry. It was something he didn't want to see. Ever. When Naruto cried in the ramen stall two days ago, while talking about Sakura, Sasuke had thought that he would make sure that it never happened again. But it did. And he hated it. Once again, Naruto's words had had a huge impact on him.

"_I never thought you were this heartless, Sasuke. Did you even think for a second h.. how I would feel?"_

Of course I think about how you feel, Naruto. I always have… only that you've never realized it…

"_What you did… it was all for your own amusement… Is that all you care about? Did you even think about me at all…?"_

I think about you all the time… I would never do anything to hurt you… Naruto…

"_You don't give a damn about me, do you?"_

I do care about you… A lot more than you'll ever know… so much that it hurts…

"_You really are a cold bastard, you know that…"_

"Naruto…" he whispered out dismally.

The raven haired boy pulled his knees to his chest. Burying his face in his arms, which were around his knees, he felt himself being filled with the feeling of desperation.

"_I'm sorry, Naruto. Everything I do… only hurts you more… I promise I'll fix this… I'll make everything right again… This misunderstanding… I swear I'll fix this whole mess-up. And then… I'll put more effort in my plan. I'll make Sakura understand. One day, she'll see… how… perfect you are, Naruto… I swear this on my life, Naruto… I'll make you happy. I never want to see you cry again. Never…"_

With his vow strengthened by the events that had happened on that day, Sasuke pulled his determination and will together, promising himself that he would fulfill his vow no matter what. He felt stronger as he swore on that vow. But it was a long time before he was actually strong enough to get up from his place on the floor.

* * *

It was a foggy morning. The sun had yet to show its face to the world. The time was as early as five a.m but already three figures can be seen waiting at the entrance to the village of Konoha. The only other people there were two chuunin ranked shinobis who were on guard duty at the entrance.

The three figures there also happened to be chuunin ranked shinobis. Two boys and one girl. Each carried a traveling pack, all ready for their mission. Yes. That's right. Those three people were from Team Seven. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. And they were all currently waiting for their 'sensei', Kakashi.

The other two chuunins who were on duty at that time were feeling very intimidated. There was an awkward air around the three young chuunins nearby them. They were all just waiting there, one standing, one sitting cross-legged on the ground, and the other was leaning on a nearby tree. But all three of them were facing different directions. Obviously, something very wrong was going on between the three of them and the two chuunins who were guarding the entrance could only wonder what had happened between the three friends who were renowned around the village for their strength and teamwork.

Naruto, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, had his hand to one side of his face as he held his head up with the hand, his elbow resting on his thigh as he waited for Kakashi-sensei to arrive. He was determinedly keeping silent, not wanting to talk to any one of his teammates. He had decided to push aside whatever had happened between them for the moment and concentrate on the mission first. But he still didn't want to talk nor look at any of them. He wasn't ready to face them just yet.

Sakura, who was resting her back against a nearby tree stubbornly kept her eyes locked on the sky. She was still angry at Naruto for what she 'thought' he had done and wasn't going to forget that anytime soon. About Sasuke on the other hand… she just felt very empty now… Her heart had been numbed, devoid of all feelings except the extreme anger and resentment she had for her spiky haired teammate. She didn't feel like voicing out whatever she felt right now for fear of losing control of herself. After Sasuke's advice yesterday, she had taken care of herself better. At least she was eating now. Some things never changed, did it? No matter what Sasuke asked of her, she would always do it… But she could not forget the rejection she had taken again the day before… There was only so many times a person can endure rejection, and now… she really didn't know what to do about herself, her feelings and of Sasuke. And so she had decided to forget all of it for the moment, and focus on her mission. But her hostility towards her two teammates still remained.

Sasuke, who was standing, had his arms crossed across his chest. He could feel the tension in the air but said nothing of it. Both Naruto and Sakura weren't talking and he just took their lead. He wasn't one to say anything much anyway. He knew that the blond was still angry at him but there wasn't anything he could do now, was there? Sakura seemed to be keeping her distance from him as well, and he preferred it that way. Perhaps now, she had gotten the message and was finally giving up. He could only hope. Whatever it was, the Uchiha was determined. He had a vow to fulfill. One day, Sakura will definitely see Naruto the way he saw him now. It was all in due time. And all of it, was for their happiness. He would make sure his plan to get them together succeeded no matter what.

As they continued to wait there, the time passed by. An hour passed, then another, and another. Soon, it was already nine in the morning, and all three were more than a little pissed at their sensei's tardiness. Sure, Kakashi was always late but none of them were in the mood to deal with it right now. The two chuunins who were still on guard there were practically suffocating under the pressure they felt coming from the three younger shinobis. They prayed fervently that the three were going to leave soon, and unfortunately for them, they had been praying to no avail for the past four hours.

Just when the three younger shinobis were at their wits end waiting, they finally noticed a figure running from a distance towards the entrance. They waited as the figure drew closer and closer to them. It was Iruka-sensei.

Feeling confused, the three of them stood and waited as the older man came towards them. The two chuunins on guard were relieved. Their prayers had finally been answered!

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called out. He always felt happy to see the older man who he thought of as an older brother. Moreover, he was starting to feel restless from keeping quiet for too long.

When Iruka finally reached them, they wasted no time. All three of the younger shinobis gathered around the darker man. Not giving the man a chance to catch his breath, Sasuke questioned him.

"Why are you here? Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

Iruka took a few moments as he panted for breath. Standing up straight as he composed himself, he gave them all a bright smile before answering.

"Gomen. I was just sent here on Hokage-sama's orders. Apparently, there's been a slight change in your mission."

"What?" Naruto was surprised. "You've got to be kidding me! And you're only telling us this after we've waited here for four hours!"

"Gomen ne, Naruto. I'm only passing the message that Hokage-sama told me."

"Kuso! That granny…!" Naruto grumbled.

"So… what's this change about?" Sakura asked softly.

At that question, Iruka started to fumble in his pockets and produced a scroll. He handed it to Sasuke.

"Here. Take this. You'll be needing it."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows questioningly as he took the scroll. Noticing the questioning look, Iruka answered the question directed at him.

"Well, you see, it seems that Kakashi-sensei won't be accompanying you on this mission."

The three young chuunins blinked at Iruka. Naruto was the first to ask.

"Why not? Did something happen to him? Is he sick? Is he hurt?"

"No, no. That's not it. Apparently, an emergency situation had emerged last night and Hokage-sama had to send Kakashi-sensei over to take a look at the situation. He left the village late last night and won't be back for an indefinite amount of time. But I guess Hokage-sama forgot about you guys till now…"

The older man broke off as he noticed the irritated looks on the faces of all three of the younger shinobis.

"Why that granny…." Naruto started, feeling annoyed.

"Maa, maa," Iruka said. "The Hokage is a very busy person, Naruto. You have to understand…"

"Yeah, right. She's probably doing it on purpose!"

"Naruto…" Iruka started to reprimand him but was cut off.

"So what's this for?" Sasuke cut in, holding up the scroll that Iruka had handed him.

"Ah. That scroll contains the information you need for your mission today. Since this is a low-ranking mission, the Hokage feels that it's unnecessary to postpone it. So you three will be carrying out this mission yourselves."

All three of the members of Team Seven froze. They were surprised at this turn of events. As realization dawned on them of what was to come, so did dread. Mistaking the pale looks on their faces for fear, Iruka assured them.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I'm sure of it. This isn't your first time anyway. So there's nothing to worry about, is there?"

Naruto could only smile in reply. Not wanting to worry his 'older brother', he played along.

"Aa… Of course I'm not worried, Iruka-sensei! I mean, why should I be? I'm the greatest ninja who'll be a Hokage one day!"

Iruka laughed. "You do that, Naruto."

Then, Iruka started to back away as he noticed the time. "Ah! Well, I hope all goes well in your mission but I really have to go now. I have a class to attend to in the academy."

"Okay, Iruka-sensei. I'll see you in a few days then!" Naruto replied.

Iruka nodded as he bowed to take his leave. The three younger shinobis bowed back respectfully. Then, he was gone. Iruka-sensei quickly made his way back into the village and to the academy.

As soon as Iruka disappeared from sight, Naruto's smile was wiped from his face. Slowly, he turned to his two teammates. The realization that they would be spending the next few days alone on this mission had sunk in. Dreading what could happen in the span of a few days, all three of them started to make their way away from the village and towards the Hidden Village of Mist, neither of them saying anything to the others.

However, although Naruto and Sakura shared the dread of spending the next few days together like this when they were all at each other's throats, the only one who didn't think that was Sasuke. He saw this as a chance to carry out his plan. It was perfect. Sure, the atmosphere around them now wasn't pleasant, but with no one around except the three of them, Sasuke was free to do whatever he pleased to carry out his own personal mission. This was the perfect time for it although a part of him still held hesitation from going through with this. Deep inside him, he knew he didn't want to lose Naruto… but this was for the best, or so he thought. And he knew that he would do everything he could to make Naruto happy.

Whatever it is, this mission was going to be the longest mission any of them had ever been on.

End Chapter Five

A/N Didn't beta-read. Probably lots of mistake. 4.30 a.m now. Have college tomorrow. Gotta go now. Review please. Thank you. ZZZZZZZZzzzZZZz……-


	6. Chapter 6

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 18 March 2006 4.30am**

A/N – Yo, minna-san! I'm back with the 6th chapter this time. I'm really sorry about the long delay. I had reasons! (Exams, laptop breakdown… it's true, really). Anyway, I realized that a lot of people here have commented that Sakura is being really selfish and all that in this fic. The truth is, I never intended to make her sound that way. Oh well.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed in the last chapter, this is for you.

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter 6

"We'll rest here," the dark haired boy stated, gesturing to a small clearing in the forest.

The only reply that came was a slight nod of acknowledgement from both of his teammates before they settled themselves down underneath the forest trees and away from each other. Sasuke let out his breath slowly as he settled under a tall tree, with Sakura resting against another tree a few feet to his right, and Naruto leaning on a large rock a few feet to his left.

It was mid-afternoon and the sun was blazing brightly in the sky. The three young shinobis had been steadily making their way towards the direction of the Hidden Village of Mist ever since they left Konoha two days ago. For the most part, Sasuke had been assuming the role of the commander in the team for this mission. The punishments he had gotten from the village hadn't entirely been lifted yet but occasionally, during lower-ranking missions, the Hokage would allow him to lead the mission and this mission was obviously one of those few.

Not only that, Sasuke couldn't help but feel happy about this mission despite the tension in the atmosphere. Now why was that? Simple. It was because this latest mission that the Hokage had assigned to him required him to leave Konoha. And the thing that made him happy about it was because he had been left _unguarded_ for once. No jounins watching him, staring at him or breathing down his neck as he completed his tasks. Sasuke was happy. It looked like Hokage-sama was beginning to allow him his freedom again. It meant that he was once again being trusted, and he couldn't ask for anything more than that from the village after all that had happened.

However, happy as he may be about this newly found freedom and trust from the village, the mission itself had been far from being pleasant. Silence had reigned throughout the whole time. The usual chatter, laughter and even arguments were absent as they crossed through the trees and bushes of the forests that led to Kirigakure. At first Sasuke hadn't minded it much. He enjoyed his peace and quiet. But the heavy tension that was hanging between the three was highly uncomfortable and it was becoming rather tiring now after two days of enduring it.

Picking up his pack, Sasuke rummaged through it. Pulling his water flask - which was half-empty - out of the bag, he got up intending to refill the flask in the stream that he could hear not too far away. However, before he could do that, a hand was waved in front of his face. Looking up, he realized that Sakura was holding out one hand to him, the other holding her own flask. Her face was expressionless.

Sasuke nodded and handed her the bamboo flask, muttering a thanks. When the dark haired boy noticed that she was moving away from the clearing, he frowned.

"Sakura," he called.

The pink haired girl turned around to face him, not replying verbally but looking straight at him to indicate that she was listening.

"You forgot about Naruto," Sasuke said pointedly, gesturing at the blond's pack and the flask inside it that he knew must be empty by now.

The blond upon hearing his name jumped slightly from the place on the ground where he was resting. Immediately, he shook his head at the other two, indicating that he didn't need any help but found himself being unfortunately ignored.

A frown settled on the pink haired girl's features at Sasuke's words. She shook her head. "I'm not taking his."

The frown already on Sasuke's face deepened at her refusal. "Why not?"

Without waiting for a reply, he scooted over and grabbed Naruto's pack which had been left carelessly by the blond on the floor, all the while ignoring the other boy who tried to grab his pack back. Taking the flask - which was indeed empty - out of the blond's pack, Sasuke held it out expectantly to his female teammate.

Sakura stared at him, her face sporting an unreadable expression. Naruto tried futilely to grab his flask back from the Uchiha but to no avail as the other boy stubbornly kept it out of the blond's reach. As he tried to reach for the flask, he managed to mumble out a few words.

"No… Don't… You don't have to…"

But his mumbling fell on deaf ears as neither of his teammates gave the slightest indication that they'd heard him. Both Sakura and Sasuke stared at each other - Sasuke still adamantly holding out Naruto's water flask to the girl while he kept it out of the blond's reach - neither letting up.

Sasuke stared at the girl, determined to win this battle of the stares. Things had been like this for the whole journey. Silence, or when they _were_ finally talking, things were highly uncomfortable exactly like it was now. He knew that he wasn't making things better by purposefully picking a fight with Sakura but he couldn't just back down. It wasn't fair that Sakura, despite the consequences, still insisted on treating only him nicely and totally ignoring Naruto.

Finally, after a long moment, Sakura gave in. Taking two steps forward, she took the flask calmly from the raven haired boy, ignoring the protesting and flustered blond at the side. Without saying anything to the Uchiha, she turned around but not before throwing a dirty look at Naruto. Seeing that, Sasuke frowned again and was about to indignantly snap at the girl's actions when he suddenly felt a sharp nudge at his side. Turning, he saw that Naruto had been the culprit of the offending move. The blond had a firm look on his face.

"Don't," the blue eyed boy said warningly. And then he turned away, not saying anything more to the other boy. By now, the pink haired girl had disappeared behind the cluster of trees.

Faltering, Sasuke could only stare at the other boy for the next few moments. When he finally turned away, he set himself comfortably on the ground beside the blond to rest. Silence reigned once again between them and the air was soon thick with the tension that had been hanging around since the beginning of their journey. The Uchiha was about to lose himself in his thoughts once more as the now-familiar silence engulfed them when suddenly a soft voice cut through the silence.

"You didn't have to do that," the blond said all of a sudden.

Sasuke was slightly surprised. Do what…? Ah. He understood. Sakura. In a smooth voice, he replied. "She wasn't being fair."

"…she never was fair when it comes to me... and you…"

Silence. Then a full minute passes and still, there is only silence. Feeling irritated at the silence between them, the raven haired boy decided to speak up. As much as he liked his peace and quiet, the silence was becoming unnerving. And he was starting to get really annoyed with it.

"Naruto… about Sakura… that day… I…" the Uchiha started. "I'm… sorry…"

The blond was quiet. He didn't answer at all nor did he give any indication that he had heard the Uchiha's apology.

Sasuke just stared forward. During the past few days of silence between the three teammates, the Uchiha had been thinking. A lot. And when he thought about it, he felt that the whole misunderstanding was his fault. He had been the one who instigated the whole mix-up. Had he not been so eager in trying to carry out his plan, he would have realized that his plans were not careful enough. It was faulty and thus, led into unintended misunderstandings such as this. While he hadn't given up on the plan, he felt responsible for the tension that now existed between the three of them. And because of this, he felt guilty. Especially towards Naruto… for he had indirectly hurt the boy because of his careless actions.

Naruto didn't move. He had heard the Uchiha's apology loud and clear but at the moment, he didn't know how to react. And so, he just went with whatever came to mind. "You're saying sorry…? To me?"

"Aa…" the Uchiha nodded. He had to fight a blush from surfacing on his face. It wasn't everyday that the proud Uchiha apologized to someone or even anyone at all for that matter. "It was my fault… perhaps if I hadn't meddled… then things won't be like this now…"

The blond was quiet for awhile. Then he sighed before speaking. "It's okay. Actually, I wanted to apologize too."

Sasuke was surprised. "What?"

Naruto nodded in confirmation, reaffirming the dark haired boy that he hadn't heard wrongly. "Yeah… Actually, I've been thinking for awhile now… There's no way that Sasuke would intentionally do something to hurt me… err, would you?" A curious look appeared on the blond's face as he asked this question to the Uchiha.

"Of course I won't," Sasuke said indignantly before adding softly. "As if making that mistake once isn't enough…"

Naruto heard it, and he frowned. He knew what Sasuke meant and he knew that the boy was thinking about his past mistakes again. Spending private time with the Uchiha had allowed him to know that much about the boy and he for one knew about the guilt in which the other boy still wallowed in. Wanting to break the boy out from that train of guilt-ridden thought, Naruto abruptly cut in with his reply.

"I know you won't," Naruto said confidently. "That's why I wanted to say sorry too. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions that day… and blamed you unfairly. Besides, I was the one who told you to see Sakura-chan in the first place anyway! So really, if anyone's to blame then… it's me. Oh yeah, and I… I'm sorry for hitting you too. I shouldn't have done that."

And with that, Naruto blushed in embarrassment. Scratching the back of his head, he smiled sheepishly.

Sasuke, having been effectively distracted by Naruto when he saw the blush on the blond's face, immediately forgot his trail of dark thoughts and it was replaced with the image of Naruto's blushing face. Shaking his head a bit to clear it from the distracting image, he gave Naruto a small smile. "It's alright."

Naruto smiled back at his friend. "Hehe. I suppose I should have known better. I should have trusted you from the start! I don't know what came over me that night… I guess I just wasn't thinking straight…"

"It's fine. As long as you get it now," Sasuke said, feeling much better now that the tension between Naruto and him seemed to be finally lifting.

Naruto laughed out loud. "Yeah! Ah, we should have both apologized sooner! Then we wouldn't have wasted the past two days being idiots at each other!"

"Well, you always were an idiot, usuratonkachi."

"Sasuke!" There was a playful sparkle in those blue eyes of Naruto's. He was glad that things were back to normal between him and the other boy. And from what he could tell by the way the Uchiha was smiling warmly back at him, he knew that the other boy shared his sentiment and was feeling glad too.

They sat there for awhile, basking in the comfortable silence for once. It felt good to be on speaking terms with each other again. However, their happiness was short-lived as they soon remembered one more person whom had also been involved in the misunderstanding.

"Ne, Sasuke…" Naruto started. "What about Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke couldn't answer immediately. He understood the blond's question perfectly well. What were they going to do about Sakura? Although Sasuke and Naruto had made up now, it wasn't going to help much if Sakura wasn't willing to make up with them as well.

"I don't know…" Sasuke answered slowly. "I don't understand what she's thinking about right now. I don't know how she came to the conclusion that you were trying to… spoil her chances of being with me… Perhaps she misunderstood me, when I went to see her that day… I guess I should say something about it to her but for once, she seems to be avoiding speaking to me…"

Naruto snorted. "Well, its worse for me. She thought I did something that I obviously _didn't_ do, and she won't believe a word I say about it. I don't mind apologizing if only to get her back to normal, but she won't even look at me."

A few minutes passed in silence as the two boys fell deep into thought in each other's company. Neither knew what to do with their female teammate. Suddenly, Naruto voiced out a question that had been bothering him for awhile now.

"Sasuke… Do you think Sakura-chan hates me?"

Sasuke was surprised at the suddenness of the question. He turned his head towards the blond before he replied. "… I don't think she hates you…"

Naruto laughed softly, not realizing that his small chuckle was captivating the dark haired boy. "Do you really mean that or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

There was a bitter way in which the blond said that, and Sasuke didn't like it. He frowned.

"I mean it," Sasuke said in an insistent tone. "She doesn't show it, or maybe she doesn't realize it, but I know that she does care for you, Naruto."

"Doesn't realize it?" Naruto replied incredulously. "Yeah, right. We've known each other for so long now but she still treats me that way, as if I'm just a bother to her."

A moment passed in silence at Naruto's words. Sasuke grappled to find the right words to console Naruto but found that he couldn't think of anything to say. Contemplating to himself a little, Naruto turned to the Uchiha.

"You know, I'm really jealous of you sometimes. You have Sakura-chan fawning all over you all the time. She really cares about you… and so do most of the females in Konoha!"

Naruto laughed to himself at that. It was true that Sasuke still held many female admirers in Konoha despite the years that he had spent away from the village. It was rather amusing really, to see them all fighting for Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke just kept quiet. He knew that what the blond said was sort of true in way. It wasn't like he wanted to show off or anything but the fact remains that many of the girls in Konoha still seemed attracted to him even after all that he did. He had later concluded that those kind of girls really only liked him for his good looks, and not because of his heart. But he still didn't understand them… Why would they be attracted to someone like _him _anyway? He wasn't worthy… not worthy of any of them… not worthy of Sakura… and definitely not worthy of the one he truly loved from the bottom of his heart… He had done too much wrong. Not wanting to think anymore of those depressing thoughts he shook his head and concentrated on the conversation.

"I'm… sorry, Naruto," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Eh? What are you apologizing for?" Naruto was surprised. It was unusual for Sasuke to be saying sorry, but twice a day? That was impossible for the prideful Uchiha.

"Sakura's actions…" the dark haired boy explained. "The more I think about it… the more I feel that it's my fault… I…"

"Don't be an idiot. We've already established that it's not your fault so don't go worrying about it anymore."

"But I was the one who started it all. If I had made things clearer, she wouldn't have misunderstood..."

"It was all just a mistake, Sasuke. Just forget it!"

"But I…" Sasuke began again but was immediately cut off.

"I'm not hearing it! I said it's alright so it's alright. You don't want to pick a fight with me again, do you?"

"…No."

Naruto grinned. "So that settles it! It doesn't matter whose fault is it but from now on, we won't bring this matter up anymore, got it?"

Without even waiting for an answer, the blond turned away and leaned back on the rock behind him with his arms supporting his head. Naruto's bright blue eyes were facing upwards as he stared calmly at the sky, just watching the clouds. It was a habit that he had picked up from a certain Nara.

Sasuke was left staring at the blond with something akin to amusement and surprise. He was taken aback. The way that Naruto made everything seem alright again was truly amazing. He was so forgiving and trusting… It made him feel bad. Naruto had never blamed anyone for anything no matter what happened… Naruto… he truly was a kind soul, or if you want to put it in a different way, naive.

"_You're… a really good person, Naruto… You're always so kind… Never blaming anyone for anything… Suffering all by yourself…"_

He was broken out of his thoughts when Naruto's voice came floating to him from the rock.

"This still doesn't solve the problem though. Sakura-chan is still mad at me and I've got no idea how to make her listen to me…" the boy with the bright blue eyes said in a defeated voice.

Sasuke stayed silent. He was rendered speechless when presented with the sight of the beautiful boy lying on the rock before him, with his golden locks catching the sun and his tanned skin warmed by the rays. It made him radiate with a heavenly glow and Sasuke could only stare at the perfect image in front of him.

Naruto, completely oblivious of the other boy's stares, was silent as his blue eyes gathered a meaningful and sad look in them. Sasuke could only watch, amazed at the breathtaking view before him. He wondered how people could call Naruto a demon just because he had the Kyuubi sealed in him. Watching the lively blond like this, Sasuke thought Naruto looked like an angel fallen from the heavens. He listened as Naruto turned to talk to him again.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing to do. Since she won't listen to me, I can't do anything," Naruto said mournfully. "It's rather sad though… I wish she would understand how I feel about her..."

Seeing the dejected look that now crossed the shorter boy's features, Sasuke was tempted to reach out and hold him until that look faded away, but of course he couldn't do that. Naruto would smack him right upside the head. And so, Sasuke refrained and could only watch the blond helplessly.

"Don't you think it's a pity though, Sasuke?" Naruto continued saying. "It's a pity that you can't choose who you fall in love with. If we could, it'll definitely save the world a lot of heartache. But I guess that's what makes loving someone so special… It's uncontrollable… like they say, love is blind…"

Sasuke knew that, and he understood perfectly. He knew too, better than anyone, what it meant to fall in love so deep that it was impossible to get out of. It wasn't a matter of choice. It was a matter of fate. And that is why love is so special.

"_Yes… Love truly is blind…"_

Sasuke continued to stare at Naruto, his own feelings reflecting in his expression, but only for a moment. Sasuke balled his fists in determination. Seeing the blond sad, was not something he was fond of. No. He wasn't going to let Naruto suffer anymore. He should be the only one to suffer from heartache, not Naruto. Naruto deserved much better. Determined, Sasuke opened his mouth and spoke.

"Definitely… one day… you'll get what you want, Naruto… I'm sure of it… One day, Sakura will see you differently."

"Heh," Naruto said in disbelief, turning his head momentarily from the sky to look at the Uchiha. "As if. But I guess there's no harm in hoping. After all, no one knows what the future holds, right?"

"Right…"

And with one last grin, Naruto's features promptly relaxed and he went back to staring at the sky as he laid back on the rock beside Sasuke. Looking at the wistful expression on Naruto, Sasuke felt his will strengthen.

"_I'll do it, Naruto… I'll definitely… help you find happiness… Definitely…"_

* * *

Sakura crouched down as she dipped the flask into the stream, filling it up. Shutting the last of the flasks, she was in no hurry to return to her teammates and decided to kneel comfortably beside the stream instead. She took her time to observe her surroundings as she rested. The sky was blue and cloudless, the stream cool and clear. The sounds of twittering birds completed the scene of a perfect afternoon in summer. But all was not perfect for the girl in the middle of the big picture.

Sakura sighed. This mission was going terribly. Two days had already passed and it wasn't that they were facing any complications or anything, but the lack of teamwork was causing too much tension. It was relatively tiring.

Sitting down, her mind drifted again. She remembered the conversation she had with Sasuke before the mission. Sasuke-kun… he had kept pushing her towards Naruto then. Looking at the three newly refilled water flasks beside her, she glared at the one belonging to the blond.

"_That Naruto… always in the way… Always!"_

Fuming, she sat there angrily thinking of all the ways she could mutilate the blond haired boy. It was his fault everything is going wrong! It was his fault that the three of them in Team Seven had barely spoken to each other for the past two days! It was his fault that now she found it difficult to talk to her Sasuke! As she continued to rage on and on in her mind, one small part of her mind knew that she was taking it all out unfairly on the blond. But still, it always felt better to blame someone and so she continued to do just that.

When her angry thoughts and glares had finally subsided, she seated herself more comfortably on the ground beside the stream, knees pulled up to her chest and arms around her knees. She lost herself in her own thoughts once more.

-Flashback-

"_Naruto… is the best person for you, you know that? He… really loves you… He would care for you… and make you happy, in a way I would never be able to… if you would just give him the chance…"_

-End Flashback-

"Naruto, huh…?"

Her mood immediately dropped lower. She still wasn't over that bitter rejection that she had gotten yet again on the day before the mission, nor was she over the one she had gotten before that too. It was still too early to think about other relationships. Not that she wanted to, of course. She wasn't thinking of anyone else. Especially not Naruto. Naruto was just… just… err, just Naruto. Yeah.

"_Yeah, so what's the problem with Naruto, huh?"_ a small voice at the back of her mind piped up. In truth, she knew that Naruto loved her very much and treated her well too, much better than Sasuke ever did, but the blond was not the one she loved.

"_Still. It doesn't give you the right to treat him the way you did,_" the voice said again.

She'd always been cold towards him. Just because… of what? There really isn't anything wrong with the blond boy. He's nice to her, he isn't that bad looking nor is he weak. He can be idiotic sometimes, but it was his innocence and naivety that made him special.

-Flashback-

"_I hope you will keep your promise… and think about what I've said just now…"_

-End Flashback-

Sasuke's words were ringing in her ears. The words that had both hurt and surprised her were so fresh in her memories.

"_Think about it, huh? Yeah, I am thinking about it, aren't I…? For your sake, Sasuke-kun… Only because you asked me to…"_ Sakura contemplated silently in herself.

Naruto had always been there for her, protecting her, caring for her… An image of the blond appeared before her eyes. His silly grin shining on his face. The image suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by the image of Sasuke. Sasuke, tall, handsome and cold, turning his back on her, walking out of her life forever…

Sakura felt the tears burning at the back of her eyes again. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry. She couldn't cry. Not now, not here. But she had decided already anyway. She had made use of the silence in between the three of them for the past few days to do some serious thinking and now, she thinks that she has thought about it enough.

There was no way she could accept Naruto. She didn't _want_ to accept Naruto. It didn't matter that he was nice. It didn't matter that she was probably better off with him. Naruto still wasn't the one she loved. He wasn't Sasuke. And she just couldn't accept him because of that. Even if Sasuke could never accept her, she could not let go of him. She knew she was being stupid, but she could never let Sasuke go. She'd loved him for too long and now, she found it impossible to think of being with anyone else other than him anymore. Even if it means that she was doomed to be alone forever.

She sadly got up from her position on the ground, gathering the flasks. Her body swayed slightly as a pang of pain shot through her head and the world seemed to swirl for a moment. Almost losing her balance, she nearly fell into the stream but caught herself just in time.

It seemed that with everything that had been happening lately, her body had been affected. She was unfit. Though she had taken Sasuke's advice and had started to eat again, the food she took was very minimal. It probably hadn't been enough for her body to recover from the previous starvation that she had put herself through. However, she quickly dismissed it as unimportant. It was nothing a little rest wouldn't fix later. Walking back to where her teammates were, her last thoughts fleeted across her mind.

"_Unloved… unwanted… That's how I am now… How I wish, to feel loved… It's so lonely… and cold. Sasuke… kun…"_

Her hand suddenly gripped the flasks in her hands tightly.

"_I'm sorry, Naruto… I can't… I'm sorry…"_

* * *

"Well, it says here that Itake-san's 'item' whatever it is, is with another old jiisan who's living at a temple."

Looking up from the scroll, Sasuke looked at the expressions on both his comrades faces. Naruto had his back on him as he stared at the unusually small building in front of them. Sakura was silent, and stayed a couple of feet away from the both of them.

"It's this one all right," the blond said. "It's the only temple in this whole village. Though I won't even call this a temple! A shrine, more like! They should have just told us it was a _tiny shrine_! Then we didn't have to go around the village about five times, searching for a huge, grand temple which doesn't exist here!"

Sasuke smirked. Naruto sounded like his usual self again. After saying their apologies to one another yesterday, they had made up and were quite alright again. Earlier today morning, they had arrived at their destination, which was one of the villages in Kirigakure. Like the first time that they had come to the Mist, they had taken the boat here as the village was a rather secluded one and could only be accessed through water transportation. Naruto was now his usual noisy self back, and Sasuke found himself glad that he had apologized even if it was only just to see Naruto back to normal again.

"Dobe," he said teasingly. "It's a mission. Don't complain."

"Ceh. Don't act all bossy, Sasuke."

Sasuke chose to ignore this last comment. Taking a step forward towards the …er, _shrine_, he glanced at Sakura. She seemed to be spacing out.

"Sakura, are you coming?"

The pink haired girl seemed to snap back into her senses.

"Wha…? Oh. Right. Hai, I'm coming."

Lifting his eyebrows at the girl, he briefly wondered what was wrong with her. Ever since coming back from the stream where they had filled their water flasks yesterday, she seemed to be in her own little bubble world. Naruto too, seemed to notice her unusual behaviour but he chose to say nothing about it. The fight that he had with her before the mission was still fresh in the blond's mind. Sakura had struck out at him in anger and they weren't exactly back on speaking terms yet.

The three of them made their way to the front door of the shrine and called out.

"Oi, tadaima! Is there anyone there?" Naruto called.

No answer.

"Hello? Anyone in there?"he repeated, a bit more loudly this time.

This time, someone answered the door. It was a short and elderly man around his seventies.

"Oh! Very good, very good! I am so glad that you have arrived," said the old man.

"Hai. We had an order from Itake-san to collect one of his belongings from you," Sasuke said.

"Yes, yes. I have it prepared already."

With that, the old man disappeared into his house for a moment only to reappear seconds later, clutching a long and thin scroll. He handed it to Naruto.

"Here take this," the old man said. "It's a painting. It's one of the last of Itake's family treasures so it's very important to him! Make sure you take care of it."

Sasuke nodded. "Don't worry. We will take care of it."

"That's right, jiisan! With me, Naruto-sama, here, the painting will be safe!" Naruto suddenly spoke up boisterously.

"Dobe."

"Urusai, Sasuke!"

The old man laughed loudly in that 'hohoho' way.

"It's good to see young people so energetic. Makes one wish that they were young again," he said wistfully. "Well now, if you don't mind, I have things to do. Good day and thank you."

The old man then stepped back inside his house and shut the door. The three young shinobi standing outside were left standing still on the old man's doorstep. The mission was completed. It was just too simple. There was nothing left to do.

"We should be going back to Konoha now," Sasuke said, assuming the role of the leader of the group again.

"Ah… This is so easy. It's boring…" Naruto complained. "Leave it to that old grandma to give us a low-ranking mission…"

"Dobe. Hokage-sama allowed us to go on a mission which requires us to go so far away from the village without supervision from a senior shinobi. You should be thankful that she trusts us enough to leave us alone."

Naruto was silent. He knew that trust was a very important thing to Sasuke right now. If Tsunade-bachan allowed the three of them to journey so far away from the village alone without being supervised, it meant that her trust in the Uchiha had increased. And that was very important to Sasuke. In respect to Sasuke's feelings, Naruto decided to leave the matter alone.

"If we leave now and hurry a little, we will be able to reach Konoha by nightfall tomorrow," Sasuke said in a business-like tone.

Naruto only nodded this time. "Okay then. Let's go."

The blond followed the raven haired boy as they made their way back to the edge of the village where the river and the boats were, in order to leave this place.

As Naruto walked behind the other boy, the painting that he had taken now safely kept in his backpack, he had a sudden odd feeling that something was amiss. Stopping abruptly, he turned around. Sakura was still standing outside the old man's house. Frowning a little, he forgot all about his fight with her and called out to her.

"Sakura-chan! We're over here!"

The pink haired girl seemed to snap out of her reverie.

"Eh?" Looking around, she spotted her two teammates a little further up the road. Quickly, she ran a little to catch up with the two boys. By now, even Sasuke was frowning at her openly.

'Ah, gomen…"

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called out to her cautiously, suddenly remembering that they weren't exactly speaking to each other yet.

"Daijoubu. Don't worry about me," she said in a cool tone.

Naruto kept quiet. He could tell that Sakura wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Apparently her anger lasts long.

Sasuke stared at the interchange between the two of his teammates. He wondered briefly whether his plan will work with the both of them acting like this. He had spent some time thinking about it, and now he had finally thought of the perfect plan to get them together.

"_It'll definitely work. It will work… It has to."_

Perhaps now was the best time to carry the plan out. Their assigned mission was completed and out of the way. Since everything had been going smoothly, they were pretty early and won't be expected back in Konoha till the next few days. This left him more than enough time and it was possible for him to carry out his own 'personal mission' now.

"_It's time. Finally, everything will start… and end here…"_ he thought quietly in his mind, his head drooping slightly. Ignoring the hesitations and protests that came from within his heart, he prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. This was for Naruto.

"_This is for you Naruto… Only you."_

* * *

Sakura walked behind her two teammates. They were back in the forests, on their way back to Konoha. Yesterday, after retrieving the painting from the old man, they had taken the boat out of that small village in Kirigakure. After that, they had taken the path through the forest on their way out of the Wave Country. They had camped out last night and had continued to trek through the forest since early in the morning until now. They would reach the border of the Wave Country soon and after that, it would be fairly simple to reach Konoha from there.

The sun was still bright in the sky, its shine filtering through the shade of trees and onto the ground below. It was now mid-afternoon but at the rate they were going, they should arrive at Konoha by nightfall as planned. Everything had gone well without any complications, allowing them to be able to return to Konoha early.

Sakura looked up. Both the raven haired boy and blond boy were walking slightly ahead of her, with Sasuke leading the way and Naruto following close behind him. All of a sudden, a bush nearby shook violently and a small, white coloured blur crossed in front of the two boys before disappearing behind another bush.

"Ah! A rabbit!" Naruto suddenly shouted out in an overly surprised tone, pointing at the bush.

"Usuratonkachi. Is this your first time seeing a rabbit?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, earning himself a glare from the shorter boy.

Sakura could only watch. Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be alright now. They were back to normal again, unlike the beginning of the mission. She wasn't really sure but she had a feeling that they had gone back to normal again since around the time she had went to refill their flasks a few days back. Something must have happened then when she wasn't around. For some reason, she felt herself feeling jealous. Why was it that Naruto always got along well with Sasuke? Sure, they bicker all the time but then in the end, it was Naruto that could really relate to the Uchiha. She noticed that Sasuke could ignore everyone if he wanted to, except for Naruto. For some unexplainable reason, the Uchiha seemed to… really like Naruto. She knew that the two had bonded ever since the whole Hidden Sound incident, but she couldn't help feeling a little envious of the loud shinobi nonetheless.

"Sakura-chan?" she heard herself being called.

"Eh?" It was then she realized that she had stopped walking and was standing stock still in the middle of the forest. The two boys were much further up ahead. Hurrying a little, she quickly made her way beside them.

"Gomen. I was a little… tired," she said unconvincingly. She knew neither of them bought her explanation but they said nothing. Resuming their journey, she slapped herself in her mind.

What was wrong with her? She kept drifting off into space lately! Well, it wasn't her fault, was it? She was just lost in thoughts. Thinking about far too many things… about Sasuke, about Naruto… Well, at least she was fulfilling Sasuke's request of her. Although she thought she had reached a conclusion for her thoughts already a few days ago, she couldn't help rethinking things through over and over again. She still couldn't bring herself to accept the suggestion of being with Naruto. She wanted to be loved, yes… but by Naruto? There was no way. It wasn't the same. He just… wasn't Sasuke.

Somewhere in within her heart, a voice scolded her for her stupidity. She was being an idiot. Naruto was nice to her. He wasn't perfect, but at least, she knew that he loved her. She would have been happy with him. So what was she doing? Why couldn't she accept him? Because of Sasuke? The Uchiha had already made it clear that there was no chance for her. She was throwing away her chance at happiness for something that could never happen. She had a chance, and she wasn't taking it. She was truly an idiot.

"_I can't… I just… can't…"_

Frustration overwhelming her, she balled her fists tightly in anger. Almost losing herself to the tension threatening to consume her, her chaotic thoughts were interrupted by a certain Uchiha's voice.

"Naruto, Sakura. You two go ahead. The way to the village is straight ahead," Sasuke suddenly announced, pointing to a small path that had appeared in between the bushes to their right.

"Eh? Aren't you coming with us?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"No," Sasuke answered rather stiffly. "I have some… personal business to take care of…"

"Personal business…?"

"Hai."

"And that would be…?" Naruto asked, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

Sasuke was silent and his eyes acquired a strange look. Naruto almost felt… afraid at looking at the strange emotion hidden behind his friend's eyes.

"There's… something I need to take care of… So… just trust me. I'll join you as soon as I'm done. Please don't ask further."

Naruto was surprised. Did Sasuke just _beg_ him? It must have been something really important for Sasuke to be practically begging him. He wondered curiously at what was it that Sasuke had to do, but as Sasuke's closest friend, he did not want to pry in his friend's personal business since it was obvious that he didn't want them to know. He trusted Sasuke. He knew Sasuke wouldn't do anything that he wasn't allowed to. And therefore, he will stand by his side and respect his wishes.

Naruto nodded slowly in reply to Sasuke's request. He looked at Sakura. The pink haired girl held a similar curious look on her face but she didn't object. Perhaps she was still thinking about the fight that they had (Sakura still hadn't made up with either of them yet) and preferred to avoid going against Sasuke for now, so she remained silent.

Sasuke nodded at them both. This is it! It was finally beginning.

"Thank you, Naruto, Sakura…" he said in a soft voice, his expressionless mask of a face wavered slightly. The next moment, his face returned to its emotionless state as he spoke again.

"This path will take you straight to Konoha. Just follow the path and I'll catch up with you as soon as I can when I'm done."

Sakura stared down the path oddly. Bothered as her thoughts may be, she had noticed the oddness of Sasuke's instructions. Confused, she voiced her suspicions.

"But… this isn't the path we took on the way here."

"It isn't," Sasuke confirmed. "But this way's quicker. It's a shortcut."

Not saying anything more, Sakura accepted the Uchiha's explanation. It didn't matter which path they took anyway. It wasn't important as long as they got back to Konoha in the end. This mission was starting to get exhausting what with all the traveling up and down and also, her body was in fact still weak.

Sakura shook her head. She was feeling dizzy and her head felt heavy. It seemed that she still lacked energy from her recent self-torture. This wasn't good. She should get back to the village as soon as possible before she fainted in the middle of the journey.

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Take good care of Sakura and the painting, Naruto," Sasuke was saying.

"Hah! You don't have to worry about that! I, the future Hokage, can protect Sakura and the painting just fine! Don't worry! Nyahahaha!"

Sasuke sweatdropped slightly. He regretted saying that.

"I'll be on my way then. Be careful," the raven haired boy said before hopping onto a tree branch and going back the way they came from. In less than two seconds, he was gone.

When Sasuke's figure disappeared off at the distance, Naruto and Sakura carried on their way down the small path. Naruto sneaked a peek at Sakura to see if she was still angry at him. Sakura had caught sight of Naruto looking at her and without a word, she turned away. Naruto sighed.

"_I guess she's still mad then… When will she listen to my explanation…?"_

Wordlessly, he continued walking as he sighed and thought about how unfairly life always treated him.

As the two walked silently along the path that Sasuke had directed them, a figure revealed itself from one of the highest branches of the trees.

Sasuke stared at the backs of his two teammates who were merely dots to him now at this distance. It was show time. His face showing pure determination, he hurriedly followed the two small figures.

* * *

Naruto continued to walk in silence. It had been uncomfortable ever since Sasuke had left them. Sakura had gone back to spacing out a lot and Naruto was still wary about talking to her. He sighed again.

A few days had already passed since the fight that they had and still Sakura couldn't get over it. Thinking back about the events of that day, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little bit of resentment towards the girl now. As angry as she was at him that day, she didn't have to hit him, did she? She hadn't even bothered to listen to his side of the story yet and she hasn't given him that chance even until now.

And so, in silence they made their way quickly down the path, neither acknowledging the other. Soon enough, the path opened into a clearing and they could see that they were reaching the edge of the forest.

Naruto frowned. Wait a minute. That can't be right. They couldn't have reached the edge of the forest so fast. The border between the Wave Country and the Fire Country should still be some ways ahead. Konoha itself should still be many more hours away. Glancing at Sakura as he continued to walk, he saw that the girl too had noticed the oddness of the situation. She was frowning as she stared down the path which became brighter and brighter as the area around them cleared from dense trees and bushes, to vast, empty lands. A number of trees sheltered them from the heat of the sun as they approached the clearing.

In a matter of moments, they had reached the edge of the forest. Crossing it, they stepped out of the bushes of the forest and onto flat land. Naruto's eyes widened, Sakura's breath got caught in her throat. They were surprised at where they had ended up at. Right there in the clearing, they found themselves face to face with a huge valley. The valley opened into a wide and deep chasm right in the middle of the clearing.

Naruto stepped forward to get a better look at the bottomless pit. The painting that they had retrieved from the mission can be seen at the side of his backpack where it was rolled up and stuck out slightly from the main compartment. He looked left and right. It was unbelievable. The chasm was so huge and wide that it covered the whole expanse of the land for as far as he could see. Stepping closer to the edge of the valley that divided the ground into the big and deep chasm, he looked into the abyss below. It was deep and dark. They couldn't see the bottom. It was probably a very, very long way down. Gulping slightly, he stepped back.

When he was a safe distance away from the edge of the valley, Naruto frowned. Looking up, he contemplated the distance of the land on the other side of the valley from where he and Sakura were standing. Who was he kidding? The divider in the ground was so wide it could fit a herd of elephants all in one go. That meant that simply jumping over the chasm was out of the question. Even if they were shinobis, it was just too dangerous.

Naruto was confused. This was odd. Had Sasuke led them down the wrong way? He couldn't have meant to send them here, did he? There was no possible way that he could see to cross the deep chasm. Did they make a wrong turn? No, the path was a straight road. There were no mistakes. Maybe Sasuke made a mistake? But then again, Sasuke _never_ made these kinds of mistakes. Does that mean that he _did_ mean for them to come here? But how were they supposed to cross the chasm? Naruto's brain became muddled as it always did when he thought too much.

Sakura stared at the scene in front of her. It seemed that Sasuke had led them to a dead-end. There was no way across to the other side. There was not even a bridge in sight. The only thing that she could see decorating the steep edge of the valley, was a large branch that jutted out from their side of the cliff, slightly further down below the edge of the cliff.

Slowly, she approached the edge of the cliff herself. Looking down at the darkness below, a wave of dizziness washed through her and her body swayed slightly. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she steadied herself.

"Ne… Sakura-chan? I don't think this is the right way," Naruto said suddenly.

Sakura did not answer. She didn't think this was the right way either. Her suspicions were starting to act up.

"_Why did Sasuke-kun send us here? Did he make a mistake…? No… Sasuke-kun won't make this kind of mistake. Moreover… he led me and Naruto here but he disappeared off on his own… This whole situation is odd… What does all this mean? Does he… does he have some sort of motive…?" _she thought in her own mind.

But she couldn't think further than that. Her head was starting to become fuzzy again the longer she stared down at the black nothingness of the chasm below her. Shaking her head, she turned her face away from the chasm and called out to Naruto.

"Naruto, we should turn back. I don't think we were supposed to end up here. We should go back and maybe we'll meet up with Sasuke-kun on the way. Then we can ask him if he'd made some sort of mistake."

Naruto nodded in agreement. Yes, that was perhaps the best thing to do. Moreover, he felt glad. At least Sakura was speaking to him. That was a start.

Just as they were turning back, a gust of wind suddenly blew strongly against them. Shielding their eyes from the dust that had been lifted together with the wind, they brought their arms up to cover their faces. Just as suddenly as it came, the wind died down. Lowering his arm, Naruto blew out a puff of air as he dusted the dirt and sand out of his clothes.

"Phew! That was some weird wind…"

Sakura agreed. She proceeded to dust herself clean too. Tilting her head to the side as she brushed some dust out of her hair, she suddenly noticed something amiss. Staring at Naruto's back, she realized that something looked different. Frowning slightly, she wondered what it was when it hit her.

"Naruto!" she cried suddenly in horror. "The painting! It's… gone!"

"Eh?"

Twisting his waist around, Naruto reached for the side where the painting was supposed to be sticking out from his backpack. His hands made contact with air. It wasn't there anymore! Feeling himself starting to panic, he started to grope around his backpack to no avail. This was bad. Where was it? It had been there just a moment ago!

"Naruto!" Sakura cried suddenly. "Look there!" she pointed back to where the chasm was.

Turning back towards the place where Sakura pointed out, Naruto's eyes widened in dismay.

"Ah, no…"

It was right there, lying atop the branch that had been jutting out from below the edge of the cliff on their side. The string that held the painting in a scroll had become loose, so that the painting was now unrolled and lay bare and spread out on the branch. The sudden gust of wind must have blown it there when the scroll had unfurled and came away from his backpack. It seemed to be stuck in between a fork on the branch which was furthest away from the edge of the cliff, way out of reach. Just their luck.

"Ah… This is bad," Naruto said. They had to get the painting back or they would have failed their mission. Not to mention they would have to compensate for losing a customer's belongings that had been entrusted to them. And furthermore, if three chuunins failed a simple C-rank mission which involved them to carry just _one_ item, they would be the embarrassment of Konoha village.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll get it," Naruto said, moving towards the edge of the cliff. Since he had been the one responsible for the painting, it was only natural that he went and get it back. Besides, Sasuke had told him to take good care of the painting. If he lost it… he couldn't imagine what Sasuke would say about it. He could just see it now, Sasuke half-amused and half-annoyed at him, telling him what a clumsy moron he was and caused Team Seven to be the laughing-stock of the village by fumbling on a simple C-rank mission… It was too much to bear. Not to mention, Tsunade-bachan would have his head for making such stupid mistakes.

As he moved forward, he thought of the best way to get the painting safely. It would be simple for a shinobi like him. Concentrating chakra on his feet so that he could walk on anything that had substance - in this case the branch - it wouldn't be a problem to reach the painting.

Suddenly, Sakura stepped in front of him. "I'll get it," said the pink-haired girl.

Naruto was surprised. "Eh? Er… you don't have to Sakura-chan… It's dangerous! I'll get it-"

He was silenced by the cold look on Sakura's face.

"I said I'll get it," she said in an icy tone. "Or do you think that I can't do anything on my own?"

Sakura was annoyed. Did he think she was useless? She was a shinobi too! She could get the painting if she wanted to do. Her mood wasn't all that great today and she didn't need Naruto pointing out that she was useless. She was determined to get the painting herself.

Naruto was afraid of the look he could see in her eyes. He hadn't meant to sound as if he looked down on her. He was just… worried for her safety. But he was afraid of saying anything more for fear of making her angrier than she already was. And so the blond kept his silence.

Turning to the side of the valley, Sakura watched the painting flutter about in the wind. Lying wide open and unrolled like that, she was afraid that the wind would blow the painting straight off and down into the chasm itself where it would be forever irretrievable. There was no time to waste. With that, she put her hands together to form a hand seal and within moments, a blue glow lighted up at her feet. Satisfied with the concentration of chakra pooling at her feet, she slowly made her way closer to the edge of the cliff and put her foot on the branch.

Naruto watched with bated breath as his female companion slowly made her way on the branch. He half-expected her to just fall off anytime but she didn't. Instead, she walked so smoothly and confidently on the branch as if it wasn't a branch at all that she was walking on, but perfectly normal flat land. It wasn't that he didn't have confidence in Sakura's abilities, but he was just worried for her sake. After all, anything could go wrong and Sakura hadn't seemed to be herself for the past few days.

"Sakura-chan! Be careful!" Naruto called out, worry clearly written all over his face.

Sakura didn't answer but continued to walk slowly, step after step all the way towards the painting on the far end of the branch. She made sure that she walked on the flatter areas of the branch that she could find to help increase her balance.

Soon enough, she reached the painting. By now, she had moved quite a distance away from the safety of the edge of the cliff. She was on the other end of the branch and right below was the never-ending abyss. If she fell now, there would be nothing to grab onto.

With utmost care, she reached out to grab the painting which had so conveniently blown to an area where there was nowhere for her to step properly on so that she couldn't get a good footing. And so, she was reduced to bending her body and stretching out as far as she could to try and reach the painting which was a good three feet away from where she perched precariously on the branch. As she did so, Naruto was all the while watching her anxiously and fearing for her well-being.

When Sakura finally managed to catch hold of the painting, something odd happened. Something in the air seemed to waver and all of a sudden, her whole world seemed to spin around. Gasping in surprise, Sakura lost her balance. The shock caused the chakra concentrated on her feet to lose its strength and before she knew it, she was falling. All the way down into the abyss below. It happened so suddenly, she didn't even have the time to scream…

Clutching the painting tightly in one hand, her other hand flailed around to grab hold of something – anything – to keep her from falling, but there was nothing. She was falling…

Suddenly, her hand made contact with something. Something, or to be more precise – _someone_ – was holding onto her! With an almighty jerk, she felt herself stop falling as she was being held up by her left arm by that _someone_.

As she looked up, she saw a blurred yellow and blue image. When her eyes focused, she realized what it was. It was Naruto's face.

Her eyes widening, she took in the scene around her. Both she and Naruto were dangling in mid-air. The only thing that held Sakura up was Naruto's hand on her left arm while her right hand clutched the painting. Naruto himself had his whole body dangling and hanging off the branch, the only thing supporting his and Sakura's weight was his other hand – the one not holding onto Sakura – on the branch. It seemed that Naruto had jumped in after her and had caught the branch just in time to save them, but not for long.

Naruto tried to regain his balance. Swinging his legs forward, he tried to get one of his feet back onto the branch but it was futile. He couldn't do it while holding onto Sakura.

"Don't worry… Sakura-chan," he rasped out, straining from the task of supporting two persons weight. "I'll… get us out… of here…!"

Sakura stared at Naruto for all of two seconds. Then, her face crumpled in anger.

"Baka! Why did you come in after me? You'll get yourself killed!"

"I… had to! Sakura-chan was… in trouble!"

"Idiot! Now you're in trouble too! You should have just left me!"

"No way! I'll never leave you… Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blinked. She was silenced by the blond's words. She could see the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her seriously, his grip on her arm never letting up even as his own fingers which held onto the branch started to slip a little. Her eyes started to feel warm.

"Are you stupid…? Why do you go this far for me…? I've never done anything to deserve your kindness…!"

"What are you talking about Sakura-chan?" Naruto said, gripping Sakura's arm even more tightly in fear of losing his grip. "You're one of my closest friends… I care about you… I couldn't possibly let anything happen to you…!"

Tears started to slide down Sakura's face and her voice was starting to become shrill as she continued to talk. It didn't matter if they were in the middle of a very dangerous situation, she felt that she just _had_ to say everything that she felt in her heart right now!

"But, why Naruto? After the way I've treated you? I've always been so hard on you! Why do you still care so much for me!"

Naruto was gazing at her intently. His eyes burning with the emotion he felt for his female teammate, and also from the over-exertion and strain that he was putting on his two arms.

"I've already said this, Sakura-chan… You're… an important person to me… and I could never imagine what I would do with myself if I let anything happen to you… I promised that I will always protect you… I'll never let you get hurt…" Naruto said, his voice full of emotion.

Sakura was crying now. From the warm words that touched deep into her heart.

"_Naruto… You always treat me so well… Naruto…"_

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound could be heard. Both Naruto and Sakura whipped their heads towards the source of the noise. Their eyes widened in horror. The branch was starting to break under the extra weight. Naruto turned urgently towards Sakura.

"There's no time! Climb up Sakura-chan!"

"Eh?" Sakura looked at Naruto, her face a look of disbelief.

"Just climb atop of me and get onto the branch before it's too late! Quick! There's no time!"

Quickly, Sakura stuffed the painting carelessly at the side of her backpack that she could reach and made sure that it couldn't fly away again. Reaching out with her other arm, she pulled herself upwards towards the branch, using Naruto's body as a medium. Now was not the time to think too much. They had to get out of this problem first.

As she slowly climbed onto Naruto, she noticed that the branch was cracking even more. She stopped halfway, having barely moved from her previous position.

"I can't go further, Naruto… If I do… the branch will break!"

"Just go on, Sakura-chan. I'll save you if anything happens. Just go!"

"But… what about you? If the branch breaks before you can get up…"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Go!"

Reluctantly, Sakura nodded. As she climbed further upwards with great difficulty as she could only use her hands to support her, the branch cracked even more. She climbed her way from hanging onto Naruto's arm, to his shoulders and chest, and finally up to the blond's other arm that held them both to the branch. She reached out to try and catch hold of the branch herself as Naruto's now-free right hand supported her in case she slipped.

"Just a bit more…" she said, her hand flailing up to reach the branch. It was so near, yet so far…

Suddenly, there was a sudden, loud crack. The branch had finally snapped and Sakura found herself falling again. They had been too late. They were going to fall down to their deaths…

Suddenly, before she realized what was happening, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. She caught sight of an orange blur again when suddenly, she felt herself being thrown and propelled upwards, to the side of the cliff where she had been earlier.

Gasping in shock, she saw the world spin around her as she flew upwards, anti-gravity and towards the land beside the branch at the side of the cliff. As she flew in the air, she saw Naruto's figure, falling into the darkness of the abyss. He was grinning.

The next thing she knew, she had landed with a 'thud' on the ground again. She had been thrown back up and towards safe grounds by none other than Naruto. She was in utter shock.

Immediately shaking of the shock she felt, she got up. Ignoring the pain on the right side of her body where she had landed, she rushed to the side of the cliff.

"Naruto!" she shouted, calling out to the blond.

There was no answer. There was nothing there except darkness. She stared at the bottomless pit in front of her. Naruto was not there anymore.

"Naruto!" she called again. The only thing she got in reply was the echo of her own voice calling for Naruto. But the real Naruto didn't reply. He was gone.

Sakura was as still as a statue. Her body felt cold and stiff. Dropping to her knees, she could only stare at the darkness below. Naruto… Naruto was gone. He had fallen into the abyss. And all because he wanted to save her. Naruto's voice was echoing in her head.

"_I promised that I will always protect you…"_

Sakura started to cry. She couldn't believe what was happening. It seemed so unreal.

"_I'll never let you get hurt…"_

The tears were falling in rivulets now. She had been so stupid! She had always treated Naruto badly. But in return, he had still continued to care for her. He had cared for her so much that he was willing to give up his own life! She remembered the grin that had been on his face when Naruto fell to his doom. He had been happy. Because he had at least managed to save her. Naruto really _did_ care for her. He would never break his promise of protecting her.

All of a sudden, a surge of emptiness filled her. Waves of emotion ran through her heart. What was this feeling? She felt a sense of loss. Unknown feelings were filling her with grief and sorrow. What were these odd feelings? One thing's for sure though. She was in disbelief. Naruto couldn't be dead!

"Naruto…!" Sakura called brokenly.

She had always said Naruto was a nuisance, a bother to have around when in truth, his presence had been comforting.

"Naruto…"

She had always said that he was annoying, and in the way of her relationship with Sasuke when in truth, he had been the best friend that had always been there when Sasuke was not.

"Naruto!"

She had always said that she wished that he would just go away so that he didn't annoy her anymore when in truth, he had never done anything to hurt her… all he did, was care for her and she had never appreciated it. In fact, she had taken him for granted and always let things out unfairly on him…

"Come back, Naruto!" she screamed hysterically, her face wet with tears. She covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.

Now… all she wanted was for him to come back.

"Naruto… I'm sorry…! Please… come back!" she whispered softly, stumbling over her own words in regret and agony. If she were given another chance, she would change everything. She'd appreciate him more, she'd never treat him badly again. She wouldn't blame him for things she knew he didn't do, and she wouldn't make him feel bad anymore. All she wanted was one more chance… but that chance would never come… Naruto was gone…

Sakura cried miserably as she kneeled at the edge of the cliff, her tears dripping onto the ground. She was in pain. Her heart was throbbing. The feeling of guilt, regret, sadness, misery, emptiness… and a lot of other unknown feelings were attacking at her heart now. This was all her fault… Everything… was because of her…

Balling her hands up in fists, Sakura screamed, her tears never stopping.

Suddenly, there was a scraping sound. At first she didn't notice it as she was lost in her own misery. But when the scraping became louder, she froze mid-scream. Her eyes widened although the tears continued to pour. Then, several feet to her left, a hand appeared. It was holding onto the edge of the cliff. Sakura didn't dare to breathe. As if in a trance, she watched as the hand pulled itself up and a blond-haired person, clad in orange, appeared from below the side of the cliff. The figure pulled itself to safety with some difficulty and sat on the ground. It was Naruto.

"Ah! That was close…" Naruto said, letting a huge puff of air out in relief, gasping and sweating from exhilaration and fatigue. Before he knew it, arms were embracing him in a tight hug. His eyes widened.

"Eh? Sakura-chan?"

He realized that he suddenly had a handful of Sakura. She was crying profusely on him, her head buried in his shoulder. Surprised at this, he tensed up slightly.

"Er… Sakura-chan? Daijoubu yo. I'm okay," he said in an attempt to calm her down. It didn't work. She continued to cry hard on his shoulder.

Not knowing what to do with the girl crying so much in his arms, he hesitantly put his arms around her. He held her close.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. Everything's alright now…" Naruto consoled her, his hands stroking her back gently to help calm her down. It felt so good to hold her this close. Sinking into the warmth of the embrace, Naruto cherished these moments while he could.

"Why, Naruto?" Sakura suddenly asked softly.

"Eh?" Naruto said blankly.

"Why do you go this far for me?" she asked, lifting her tear-stained face from Naruto's shoulder to look at him in the eyes.

Naruto stared back at her brilliant green eyes for a few moments. Breaking eye-contact, he looked down, a small smile gracing his lips. "I've said it many times and I'll say it again. You're… an important person to me, and I'll never let anything happen to you. Never," the blond answered simply, a slight blush covering his cheeks as he said that.

Sakura's eyes filled with more tears as she buried her face back into his shoulder.

"Are you an idiot? What about your own life? You should take care about yourself more!" she half-scolded him.

Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"I couldn't do that. My friends are very important to me. Especially you, Sakura-chan…" he said, his voice becoming softer and softer.

Sakura was silent after that but she continued to sob in Naruto's arms. Suddenly, something occurred to Naruto.

"Ne, Sakura-chan… I thought I heard… Were you… calling for me… just now…?" he asked softly, not daring to believe what he had thought he heard.

Sakura did not answer. Naruto waited with bated breath, not sure of what she was going to say. Finally, he felt her nod in his neck.

"I… I did," she answered honestly.

Naruto's heart leapt in his chest. Sakura… Sakura had called for him! Sakura had been worried about him! Sakura _did_ care about him! A huge smile appeared on his face.

"You did?" he asked incredulously, unable to believe his ears. He started to laugh causing Sakura to lift her head again to frown at him.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked, annoyed.

Naruto laughed a bit more before suppressing his laughter before Sakura got really mad at him. He looked at her seriously.

'Iie… It's just that… Arigato yo, Sakura-chan. For caring about me. I feel… really happy," he said, smiling at her.

Sakura stared at the happy face in front of her. Suddenly, she hit him, slapping him on the side of his face. Naruto was shocked, but before he had time to react Sakura was suddenly holding onto him so tightly as if there was no tomorrow.

"You really, really, really are an idiot!" she said angrily. Then, her voice softened as she continued. "I was really worried about you… Naruto…"

She paused awhile before looking up slightly, caressing his cheek gently where she had slapped him as if to apologize for striking out at him. She then hid her face in his shoulder again. Naruto was starting to feel really surprised at Sakura's sudden show of care and affection for him. Not that he didn't like it of course, but Sakura _never_ treated him like this before…

"It's alright, Sakura-chan… I'm fine. So everything's okay…"

At those words, Sakura shook her head in his shoulder.

"No… everything's not okay…" she whispered softly in his ear.

"Eh? Sakura-chan, what are you…" he started only to be silenced when she hugged him tighter.

"Sakura-chan…?" the blond said again uncertainly. His heart was starting to beat faster. Sakura was so close to him! And she kept clinging and hugging him! He felt his hopes rise but he abruptly beat them down, not wanting to disappoint himself again later. He froze when he realized that Sakura was starting to speak again.

"… Naruto…" she whispered gently. The sound of his name being said so softly from the lips of the one he cared about so much, Naruto felt goosebumps run up his spine. He couldn't react as she moved backwards to look him straight in the eye. Blue eyes met green ones. Moments passed in silence in between them, the wind blowing slightly, as if to fit the moment perfectly. Then, Sakura's soft voice filled the air again.

"Would you give me another chance?" she asked looking Naruto straight in the eye, conveying all the emotions she felt.

It was as if time stopped. Neither moved or spoke for a long time. They just stared into each other's eyes, probing deep into the other's souls, trying to see what the other was thinking. Both their hearts were beating hard and fast in their chests as Sakura waited for Naruto to reply.

Naruto was stunned. Never in his life did he imagine that Sakura would say something like this to him. Sure, he had always wanted this, dreamt of this, but for it to actually happen in reality, he had never thought that it was really possible. In the first place, was she saying what he _thought_ she was saying?

"Sakura-chan… What are you saying…?" he asked to clarify things, the disbelief apparent in his voice.

"I meant what I said, Naruto," she answered calmly. "I've… never treated you well before… I was always so cruel… Just now… When you almost died, I realized it. What a fool I was. I was… so blind to not see you… how well you treated me… how you felt about me… I was, blinded by my own selfish wants…" she trailed off.

"So… that's why… you're trying to… repay me? Just because you were guilty…?" Naruto asked feeling the hope die in him. That was it. Sakura was guilty. She was trying to redeem herself by caring about him. But this wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want Sakura to feel as if she had to repay him. He didn't want her to accept him just because of guilt. What he wanted was her pure and unconditional love. Not forced by anyone or anything else. He was taken aback when she shook her head in reply to his question.

"No… This is not about my guilt…" she replied. "It is true… I have done many things to hurt you… and I'm sorry about that… Well, I suppose that you _could_ say that I partly want to redeem my past bad deeds too…"

Naruto's heart dropped. So this _was_ about the guilt after all. He should have known. Sakura could never really care for him like that. At most, she only thought of him as someone she was indebted to or at best, a friend and teammate. He started to say something but was cut off by Sakura's finger on his lips.

"Listen first, Naruto…"

Naruto kept silent after that. When she was sure that he was listening, she removed her fingers. "As I was saying, I do partly want to redeem my past bad deeds. But another part of me, the bigger and more important part of me, feels something else…"

She put a hand on her heart as she continued, head turning away from the boy in front of her. "When you fell… I felt something here. It was a stab, Naruto. I felt emptiness…"

Naruto was still. He didn't know what to think of this. What did Sakura mean?

"I've been feeling this emptiness for awhile now, but when you fell, it became more painful," she continued. "As you know… the whole thing with… Sasuke-kun a few days ago… I was weak. I had been left with an empty feeling in my heart. No… Even before that. Way back when we first started off as shinobis, I already carried this… wound in my heart… because Sasuke-kun had rejected me… and because I could not let go of him even after he rejected me… and again and again, he just keeps on rejecting me until now… The emptiness in my heart just keeps on growing…"

Naruto listened intently at the girl in front of him which was spilling her emotions so freely now.

"And because I could not let go, I suffered with this wound for years… Because I could not let go, I couldn't give myself another chance… I was young and stupid…" she said.

Turning her head back to meet his eyes again, Naruto saw a new determination shining in those bright, green eyes.

"But now I'm different. I don't want to live in the past anymore. I can't go on wasting my life anymore… I have decided to let Sasuke-kun go. Once and for all," Sakura said, determination filling her voice. "I… I feel something for you, Naruto… I really do… Just now… was proof enough… I felt empty without you… I'm not sure what this feeling means yet for now… but if it's possible… I want to try things out."

Reaching out, she took Naruto's hands in hers and looked deep into his eyes.

"So… if you could find it in your heart to forgive me… for everything that I've done... and to accept me again… Would you give me another chance? Give _us_ a chance? A chance at happiness? I'm… willing now to give you a chance… but are you still willing to give _me_ the chance?" Sakura asked sincerely, feeling her heart overflow with emotion.

Unknown emotions were spilling out from her, things that she never thought possible, things she had thought could never happen… it was all coming out. Something was happening. Her heart was burning with a fire that she had never felt before. Was this… was this because of Naruto? Briefly, she wondered if her hesitations of being with the blond had anything to do with this? Maybe this was why she had hesitated so much! Perhaps… perhaps all this while, these feelings had been suppressed deep within her heart. Because she had refused to let go of Sasuke. But now, when she could finally let go, she discovered a new feeling. A new feeling for the blond boy sitting in front of her. She had concentrated and kept on telling herself that she could only ever love Sasuke in this life, but she had never allowed the other bit of her heart to come out and live its part. This part of her heart had been covered and overshadowed by the stubborn bit of her that insisted that only Sasuke could be the one for her. She realized now how wrong she had been to think that way… But all she could do now, was to wait. The choice was no longer hers, it was Naruto's.

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. This must be some kind of dream. Sakura had just asked him to give her a chance. To give _them_ a chance! And she had more or less revealed that she harbored some unknown feelings for him. This was his chance. Finally someone… someone actually may love him! And it was Sakura-chan no less! The girl that he had always cared for since his childhood days! He was happy. How could he say no to this chance offered to him?

Naruto smiled broadly. "Of course, Sakura-chan. How could I say no to you? It's what I've always wanted to hear."

With that, he pulled Sakura into an embrace. He held her close to him, happy to have her in his arms.

Sakura smiled, resting herself on Naruto's chest. This felt… warm… and nice. She wanted to feel loved. And she was feeling it right now, in Naruto's arms. She had been a fool to not notice that all she could ever want was all the while right by her side. For now, she wasn't sure of her feelings for Naruto. But she _did_ know that she cared for the blond a lot more than a normal friend would. What had happened just now was proof enough… And she was willing to try things out, and to find out more of how she really felt about the blond boy. The thing with Sasuke-kun, she could finally let it go now, and allow herself a chance at happiness with someone who really cared for her… and she was happy for that. She finally felt free for once in a long, long time…

"_Maybe… maybe this place with Naruto is where my happiness actually lies…"_ Sakura thought to herself.

Naruto's heart was soaring. As long as Sakura was with him now, nothing mattered. He would give her all the time she needed to sort her feelings out and at the same time, he would take what she offered him. Sakura had said that she was over Sasuke now and so, Naruto would believe her. Even if she wasn't fully over him, he would give her this time to sort herself out and give himself a chance to fill the hole Sasuke had left in the girl. He didn't mind being Sasuke's replacement for now. He believed that one day, Sakura would realize and see him for who he really is and not just as Sasuke's replacement. As he gave Sakura her chance, he was giving himself a chance as well. Sasuke was right, Sakura didn't hate him! And he had finally gotten a chance at happiness. It was as if the whole nightmare of fighting for the past few days had been forgotten, and everything was right again. In fact, it wasn't just right, it was even better! Naruto couldn't feel more contented than this.

They stayed like that for awhile longer when Naruto suddenly broke the comfortable silence between them.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. We should go look for Sasuke now. It's getting late."

Sakura nodded. Getting up, she checked that the painting was safe in her backpack. Luckily, it was, albeit a bit crumpled. Taking it out, she smoothed out the painting. Rolling it properly into a scroll again and then retying the string around the scroll, she handed it back to Naruto.

"Here. It's supposed to be your responsibility," she said, smiling.

Naruto blushed.

"Ehehe. Right…" Naruto said, taking the painting and placing it securely back into his own bag. He was determined not to lose it anymore.

With that, they turned away from the huge chasm that had changed so many things between them in the past hour and headed back towards the forest.

As they were halfway towards the forest, Sakura suddenly stopped in the middle of the clearing between the chasm and the forest. She frowned. Come to think of it, what had made her lose her balance and fall from the branch earlier on? Naruto, seeing that Sakura had stopped walking, stopped as well to turn to her.

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?" he asked worriedly, eyeing her up and down.

"Iie…" she trailed off before continuing. "I was just thinking of what made me lose my balance back there… It must be because of what happened these past few days. I hadn't been eating right since that time with Sasuke-kun… and now my body's all weak. I'm not exactly in the best state now. My head's been feeling dizzy for awhile."

Sakura laughed at herself. Yes. She _was_ unfit today, and the past few days too for that matter. Perhaps it had been because of another dizziness attack back there when she fell. Naruto was frowning.

"That's not good, Sakura-chan. You have to take better care of yourself now," he said sternly.

"Hai, hai!" Sakura said. She giggled and couldn't resist teasing the blond. "Gee, we've only just got together and already you're nagging me!"

With that, she stuck her tongue out playfully at the blond and quickly ran towards the forest before he could react.

Naruto lifted his hand to reply something to Sakura's comment but decided not to. Smiling, he looked at the girl's figure running away from him playfully and into the forest. He felt better. If Sakura was being playful and teasing him, that meant that she was okay. Everything seemed to be just perfect now. Feeling cheerful, he was about to leave when he sensed something behind him.

Immediately, he whipped his body around. Looking left and right, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The chasm was still there and everything else looked normal.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" he heard Sakura call out to him. Looking back, he waved his hand at her.

"I'm coming! Hold on!"

Turning back, he took one last look at the chasm. He really thought that he had felt something there just now… something…

Ah. Maybe he was just imagining stuff.

"Naruto!"

"Hai, hai!" Naruto answered, quickly turning back around and making his way to Sakura's side. "Jeez, who's the one nagging who now?" he said under his breath. He decided that whatever the weird thing was that he had felt just now, it was probably merely a figment of his own imagination.

Soon, the blond caught up with Sakura and they both disappeared back into the forest.

Minutes passed. Everything remained silent at the chasm. Suddenly, the scenery started to waver. The huge chasm was disappearing, to be replaced by flat ground. The whole scene twisted and swirled until the whole chasm was gone, leaving only a wide expanse of flat land.

Up on a tree which had been on the opposite side of the 'valley' where the whole Naruto and Sakura scene had happened, a certain dark haired boy appeared seemingly from out of nowhere, his hands forming a seal. The boy released the hand seal that he had been holding for the past hour whispering a soft 'kai'.

"Hmph," Sasuke muttered under his breath. "Simple genjutsu is all it takes."

Sasuke's plan had gone perfectly. Leaving Naruto and Sakura alone and intentionally leading them the wrong way, he had made a detour and went ahead of them. He had created the genjutsu, causing his two teammates to believe that there was a chasm. Causing the wind to pick up suddenly so that the painting was blown onto the branch, causing the waver in the air so that Sakura lost her balance and seemingly fall to her doom… and Naruto's reaction after that… It had all gone as he had predicted. Everything had worked out perfectly.

Hmph. His training with Orochimaru really had strengthened him and it was beneficial in a way. His genjutsu abilities were amazing. Naruto was not able to sense it and neither could Sakura, although admittedly Sakura wasn't at her best today, or else she may have sensed it. After all, she was exceptionally skilled when it came to genjutsu.

He had thought of this plan after long hours of planning and he must say that it had gone extremely well. A genjutsu was the best choice for a plan as he did not want to risk his teammates getting hurt for real. He couldn't put them in danger for the sake of his plan. The only mistake he had made was towards the end. He had almost released the genjutsu accidentally, causing another waver in the air and this time, Naruto had noticed it. It was lucky that Naruto didn't decide to come back and investigate further or his plan might have been found out.

Sasuke sighed. That mistake nearing the end… it shouldn't have happened. But when he remembered the scene that he had saw… Naruto and Sakura holding each other, Naruto officially hooking up with Sakura… Naruto… Naruto…

A pain coursed through his heart. No. He didn't want to think too much. This was what he had wanted to do, wasn't it? This was his own personal mission, wasn't it? He wanted them to get together so that Naruto would be happy. And it was obvious that Naruto had indeed been happy…

Sasuke didn't move. His bangs covering his eyes, he lowered his head. He took a few private moments for himself, to gather his wits together.

After awhile, he decided that he had to get back to Naruto and Sakura or they would get suspicious. Pushing all thoughts to the back of his head, he hurriedly made his way after his two teammates, who were now a couple thanks to him, as he muttered two words under his breath.

"Mission… complete…"

End Chapter 6

This is finally done. A bit rushed since I'm long past the due date but I hope you'll still like it. Reviews please!


	7. Chapter 7

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETED EDIT : 26 APRIL 2006 1.50am**

Finally! I updated! Check it out! Thank you to all reviewers that have reviewed all the way up till now. I appreciate them very much!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : Yaoi. If anyone is uncomfortable with that then DON'T read further.

Pairings : SasuNaru (main) and other various pairings

Chapter 7

Thud!

The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed across the forest training grounds. It was late in the afternoon in the village of Konoha and the sun was setting, lighting up the village with its orange colored rays as the sun dipped lower and lower behind the mountains.

Sasuke panted as he tried to catch his breath from the ground, where he laid face down. He had been spent the whole day training at this spot and was now extremely spent.

The raven haired boy turned over so that he was now flat on his back. Taking a deep breath, he decided to call it quits for the day. Picking himself off the ground, he headed towards the edge of the forest far on the other side where a cliff stood, overlooking the whole of Konoha village.

As he came closer to the edge of the cliff, the cluster of trees thinned down and he found himself facing a magnificent view of the village he belonged to. Far across the horizon, he could see the sun slowly being hidden by the mountains. Down below, he could see the village and its people, mere tiny dots from this height.

Sitting down on a nearby rock, he rested his fatigued body. He sighed as he stared at the view before him. Just recently, he had gotten the habit of sitting alone somewhere secluded, where he was left in peace with himself.

Sasuke sighed, a light breeze blowing at his face, ruffling his hair. Two weeks had passed. Two weeks since the mission at the Hidden Village of Mist. Many things had happened since then, and many things had changed. And it had all been thanks to him. Not that anyone knew, of course. That day, after the incident at the chasm where Sasuke had so carefully set up the genjutsu, he had met up with Sakura and Naruto. It was a good thing that neither of his two other teammates were any wiser of what had _actually_ happened on that day. Not to mention the unexpected scene that had occurred on that very same day…

-Flashback-

"Naruto. Sakura," Sasuke called out.

The two who had been walking back down the path, so called the 'short-cut' by Sasuke, turned around to look at the source of the voice.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called back in reply. The raven haired boy was standing up on a tree above them. He had a slightly ruffled and breathless look on him, which aided in making Sakura and Naruto believe that he had just come back from the 'personal' errand that he was running.

"You done with whatever it was you were doing?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"And I see that you've at least taken good care of the painting," the taller boy said causing an irritated vein to pop on the side of Naruto's forehead.

"Of course I did! Don't look down on me, Sasuke-teme!" the blond said in a loud, indignant voice. Sasuke didn't have to know that he had _almost_ lost the painting.

The Uchiha merely ignored him.

"Why are you coming back this way?" Sasuke asked, playing dumb.

"Hah! You're telling me! You led us right into a dead-end!" Naruto answered in reply, still ticked off at Sasuke's apparent lack of faith in him earlier.

"Sou ka?" Sasuke asked, pretending to look slightly bewildered.

"Yeah! There was nothing but a huge hole over there!" the blond continued.

Jumping down from the tree branch that he had perched on, he landed in front of his two teammates.

"Ah, sorry. I must have made a mistake then."

"Hah! Who's the one making mistakes, eh?" Naruto shot back, eager to get back at Sasuke's earlier comment.

Sasuke didn't answer. The blond was so dense sometimes. At least now Sasuke was sure that Naruto wouldn't question the mistake that Sasuke had made due to the blond's eagerness to get back at him. However, he noticed that Sakura had a slightly suspicious look on her face due to his unconvincing excuse. After all, it was _rare_ that he made mistakes in missions. He hoped fervently that she wouldn't question him further. Thankfully, she didn't.

"Whatever. We have time to spare anyway. As long as we get back home soon," Naruto finally said, not one to stay mad for long ever since bonding with Sasuke. The taller boy's sarcastic comments were a part of him and Naruto had long since stopped getting affected by them. Well, most of the time anyway. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Hai. It's no problem at all… Sasuke-kun…" she said hesitantly. She looked as if she was thinking for a moment. Suddenly, she bowed her head down at the raven haired boy, causing the two boys there to be extremely surprised.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!" she said.

Astonished, Sasuke couldn't answer immediately. He stared at her, his eyebrows raised questioningly. Naruto's expression was one of bewilderment as well. When the Uchiha found his voice, he immediately questioned her actions.

"Sakura, what are you doing?"

"I'm… I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun…" she trailed off.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto started but he was cut-off by Sakura.

"I want to say that I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun… for being trouble to you all this time."

A realization dawned in Sasuke. Ah. An apology.

"Sakura…" he started, but again Sakura interrupted him. She seemed to want to get it all out of her system before she lost her nerve.

"I've always bothered you. I knew that you hadn't felt the same about me and yet, I always forced my feelings on you. And about the past few days too… I'm grateful that you'd cared enough to visit me even when I was being stupid… And also for everything else that had happened… I'm sorry… for everything…"

She stopped for awhile, her head still bowed down as the two boys stared at her, shocked at her sudden confession. Slowly, Sakura looked up before she continued.

"Mou... I won't bother you anymore, Sasuke-kun… So please… I hope that we can continue to be friends… become better friends in fact… So please forgive me…"

With that, she bowed her head again, in apology to the boy that she had loved and troubled for so long. The counterpart of her one-sided love. It was time to end all of that, and start anew. She only hoped that Sasuke would give her that chance to start at the beginning again, just as Naruto had.

Sasuke was so surprised at this revelation, he couldn't answer at once. Gathering himself together, he moved forward and gently pushed her back up so that she was standing straight again.

"Its fine, Sakura," he said, his dark eyes stared straight into her green ones. He looked at her like that for awhile, seeing the sincerity of Sakura's apology in her eyes. Releasing her shoulders, he held out his hand for a handshake as if to seal the bitter events that had happened between them before this once and for all.

Sakura was stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled. Taking the Uchiha's hand in hers, she shook it.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun," she said softly, feeling grateful that he was willing to forgive her faults.

Sasuke shook his head. It was time to put the past behind them. He bore no grudges. He knew better than anyone that holding a grudge was tough and only caused more suffering. And thus, he was willing to forgive. They could finally become the proper friends that he had wanted to be.

As the long conflict between Sasuke and Sakura was resolved there and then, a loud shout was heard suddenly from the side.

"Yosh! Good! Good!" Naruto shouted, jumping closer to the two of his teammates, slinging each of his arms on both of their shoulders, creating a circle around the three of them. The blond was grinning from ear to ear.

"This is great! We should be like this always! Team 7, the three of us are one! No more fighting, no more arguing! Let's just forget all of that!" Naruto said happily, the grin wider than ever on his face.

Sakura smiled shyly and nodded, still uncomfortable around Sasuke. Sasuke gave the faintest of smiles but didn't say anything. With those words, all the misunderstandings that had happened between them in the past few days vanished. They had created a bond between them, stronger and closer than ever.

"_Closer than ever, huh?_" Sasuke thought.

The Uchiha looked closely at his two other teammates in front of him. Sakura was smiling slightly, not to him this time, but to Naruto. A faint blush was seen on her cheeks. Naruto was grinning at Sakura. He looked the happiest that he had ever been in a long time. Both of them were oblivious to the Uchiha staring at them.

"_Hn. They're close all right…" _

Not wanting to watch them, Sasuke carefully stepped out of the circle they had made.

"We should get back now," Sasuke announced when he saw the questioning looks on Naruto's and Sakura's face.

"Ah. That's right. We should be getting back. Let's go… Naruto," Sakura said, turning to Naruto.

Without waiting for the other two, Sasuke started off towards Konoha village. The right way this time.

-End Flashback-

Sasuke sighed. Ever since then, the friendship between the three of them had strengthened and the past two weeks had been peaceful. Well, peaceful on the outside anyway. No one had seen the turmoil that boiled in within a certain Uchiha's heart everyday as he watched the relationship between his two best friends' progress.

Today had been much the same as usual. Another noticeable change had occurred, and Sasuke didn't miss it. Naruto had not trained much. No doubt, the blond would be spending time with his pink haired love right now. Before, Naruto would have trained whenever he had the spare time, but things were different now. Naruto had a girlfriend to worry about and apparently, his girlfriend was more important than training. And so, the time Naruto spent training was getting lesser everyday. And the less Naruto trained, the less Sasuke got to see the blond.

It was always the same for Sasuke. As Sakura and Naruto's relationship continued to grow day by day, Sasuke fell into deeper despair. At first, he thought he could just ignore it and pretend that nothing had happened. But then he realized that significant things started to change with the growth of two of his best friend's newfound relationship, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore them…

-Flashback-

They had finally reached Konoha village. It was nightfall now, just a little later past dinnertime. Considering they had journeyed all the way from the Mist Village, and had even gone the 'wrong way', they were rather early.

Standing in the middle of the town square where there were several junctions, all going in different directions, the three young shinobis finally let their guard down.

"We're finally back! I'm so hungry!" Naruto complained, his hands clutching his growling stomach.

Sasuke moved towards him. "The painting, dobe."

"Feh," was all Naruto said. He was too hungry to care that Sasuke was bossing him around. Reaching a hand into his backpack, he grabbed at the rolled-up painting and tossed it to the dark haired boy.

Catching the painting, Sasuke double-checked the item to make sure it was still in good condition. It was. He looked back up to look at his two teammates. Naruto had an expression of immense torture on his face. Perhaps because he hadn't had his daily dosage of ramen for the past few days as he had forgotten to pack his supply before leaving for the Mist. Sakura looked equally exhausted. It seemed the trip had really taken a toll on her.

Sighing inwardly, he waved a hand at them.

"You guys go ahead. I'll take care of the rest," Sasuke said.

Both Naruto and Sakura blinked at him. Then, their faces lighted up.

"Eh? Really? You're letting us off?" Naruto asked, pleasantly surprised at Sasuke's kind offer.

Sasuke nodded.

"It's fine," he said. "I'll report to Hokage-sama's office and submit the collected item myself. We don't need the three of us to go together. I'll just let her know we're all back safely."

A joyful smile spread on Naruto's face at those words.

"Really? Arigato, Sasuke! Are you sure it's fine?" Naruto said, hardly daring to believe Sasuke's generosity.

Sasuke nodded causing Naruto to jump up excitedly.

"Yes! Ramen, here I come!" the blond exclaimed happily.

Sakura was relieved too, but she didn't feel good about letting Sasuke do all the work while they went off early.

"Are you sure, Sasuke-kun? Maybe I should do it…" she trailed off.

"Sakura… Among the three of us, your condition is the worse. You're tired. Go get something to eat then get some rest. You need it," Sasuke said in a slightly stern voice.

Sakura blushed. It was true that she could barely walk now. She was so tired. But it was still embarrassing that Sasuke could see her weaknesses so easily. Sasuke was as observant as usual.

"Just go back home already. I'll handle this," Sasuke said, turning on his heels to make his way towards the Hokage's office alone. He waved his hand one last time before walking off into the night.

He was only a few feet away from them when he heard his two closest friends talk again. Their voices echoed in the still night air as he continued to walk further away from them.

"Naruto, do you want to get something to eat?" he heard Sakura saying.

"Yosh! Let's go to Ichiraku's!" Naruto had replied, his loud voice ringing across the quiet streets.

"…Okay…" the soft reply from Sakura came.

"All right! Let's go!" the blond had shouted then.

Sasuke heard two pairs of footsteps quickly disappearing in the opposite direction, obviously going to Ichiraku's. His hand gripped onto the painting he held a little tighter than necessary and his own footsteps halted as he heard the footsteps of the other two slowly fade away.

This was wrong. This was different. Sakura never did agree to go out with Naruto and now, _she_ was the one inviting _Naruto_ out. It was just… wrong. This never happened before. Everything had changed…

It was then Sasuke realized that this was only the beginning of the changes. Naruto and Sakura were an item now. Obviously, things were going to be different between them. It was only now that he started to feel the full impact of what he had done.

A battle raged within him. Part of him wanted to turn around and follow his two friends. Another part of him urged him to continue his journey to the Hokage's office. And yet, another part of him just wanted to go home and hide himself under his bed covers, away from the rest of the world. At the moment, the first part of him was winning the battle. He was about to turn around when an inner voice stopped him.

"_For Naruto…"_

A pause. And then, the raven haired teen continued his way to the Hokage's office. Those two words were all it took to strengthen his will. Within minutes he had reached the Hokage's office without event, and never once turning back.

-End Flashback-

Sasuke sighed. Bitter memories that he had not wanted to remember. But it really was him that brought this upon himself, wasn't it? He looked at the sun glowing in the late afternoon sky. The sun was mostly hidden behind the mountains now. It left an orange glow about the village below it and the whole area across the wide land. It was an ethereal moment. Peaceful and warm.

When Sakura and Naruto had gotten together, they had not confronted him about their relationship immediately. Perhaps they had been embarrassed and shy and hadn't wanted anyone else to know about it yet, and so Sasuke had not minded. They spent a few days in low profile but Sasuke saw through everything. Their whispered conversations, stolen moments together… he noticed it all.

During training, Sakura and Naruto spent more time with each other. Instead of training with Sasuke, Sakura would always be the one training with the blond now. And whenever they took a break, Naruto and Sakura would again be close together, happily chatting and laughing away while they had their lunch.

It didn't use to be that way. Normally, Sakura would try to get as close as she could to the Uchiha, even if he didn't pay her the least bit of attention. Naruto on the other hand would try to get Sakura to notice him. But that was not the case now… They seemed… happy together. Oh, they wouldn't forget about Sasuke though. They still included him in their conversations, obviously to hide their relationship, but it only made the dark haired boy uncomfortable. In the end, he would excuse himself and leave the two alone. He didn't want to disturb them… and neither could he stand watching their happiness. Leaving was the best option before his walls broke down in front of them.

Even when they weren't training, luck still seemed to be against the raven haired boy. While out shopping for groceries, or to go to see the Hokage when orders came in or even just to take a walk, he always seemed to bump into them. He had tried to avoid them, not wanting to see anything that would break him but fate seemed to think the opposite.

In the mornings, he would see them walking together to the training grounds. In the afternoons while he bought his groceries, he would bump into them buying their groceries as well, albeit together. In the nights, he would see them walking alongside each other again, probably headed for a dinner date together.

Each time he saw them, he would duck out of sight, not wanting to be seen by them. He didn't know why. Perhaps he just wasn't ready to face them as a couple yet. Even so, whenever he saw them together, he had an insistent urge to follow them. To see what they were doing. To see how far in their relationship they have gone… but each time he stopped himself just in time. What would happen if they found out he was spying on them? Would they still accept him as a friend? Or will they shut him out? He found that he didn't want to take that risk. He couldn't bear to lose his two closest friends, especially not Naruto. And for that, he suffered.

It had been the fifth day since Naruto and Sakura's relationship started when they finally _did_ confront him about their little secret. They had been so nervous. Sasuke would have normally been amused had it not been for the circumstances.

It had been a late afternoon and they had been at the training grounds. Kakashi-sensei was absent from the village then as he had still not come back from the urgent mission that the Hokage-sama had sent him on. They had just finished up with their training when the two approached Sasuke.

-Flashback-

"Ano, Sasuke-kun," Sakura had called timidly.

Sasuke looked up from picking up the fallen kunais on the ground. Straightening himself, he stared at his two teammates who stood fidgeting in front of him. He raised his eyebrow in question.

Naruto seemed to be determinedly looking everywhere but at Sasuke. Sakura was staring straight at the ground. Then, the pink haired girl seemed to get a burst of courage from somewhere and she lifted her eyes to stare straight into the Uchiha's dark eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, we have something to tell you," she blurted out.

At that point, Sasuke had practically guessed what this was all about. He had been well-prepared for this. He played along, giving them a questioning look as if he didn't have a clue as to what they wanted to say.

Sakura seemed to fidget even more nervously after that, losing her nerve. Looking sideways, she glared at the blond whom was still stubbornly looking in the opposite direction. Grabbing his ear, she pulled him to face her.

"Naruto! We talked about this! I thought we agreed!" Sakura hissed, a hint of anger in her voice.

Naruto winced in pain, trying to get loose from Sakura's grip. Finally releasing himself, he stared at her helplessly as if he really didn't want to do whatever it was that he and Sakura were supposed to do.

"Sakura-chan… do I have to?" he asked, an unwilling look on his face.

"Of course you have to! You're the guy!" she said, a dangerous tone in her voice.

A resigned look registered on Naruto's face then. Slowly, he turned to face Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" he started. "I… uh,… I…er, we…"

Sakura abruptly elbowed him. Giving him a look that said, 'do it or die', she silently prodded him to go on.

Clearing his throat, Naruto summoned the strength to say what he intended, or rather, forced to say.

"Sakura-chan and I are going out together!" he said hurriedly before immediately turning away, his face a brilliant shade of red.

At the moment Naruto spoke those words, a funny feeling entered Sasuke's heart. He had thought that he'd be prepared for this moment, but perhaps… he still wasn't.

Forcing a smirk on his face, Sasuke crossed his arms. He had to make a huge effort to react exactly as he had planned since he knew that this day would come.

"Is that all?" Sasuke said coolly.

Both Naruto and Sakura looked up, surprised.

"Aren't… aren't you shocked?" Naruto asked him, the surprise at Sasuke's lack of reaction was clear in his voice.

"Heh," Sasuke shook his head, still smirking forcibly. "What do you take me for? I've known ever since you two first started out. Back when we were on the Mist mission."

"Then… then all this while you've known?" Sakura asked as she gaped at him.

"Of course," the raven haired boy answered leaning back down to continue picking up the kunais they had used for practice.

"You knew and you didn't say _anything_?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Sasuke looked up. He saw a flicker of an unreadable emotion on Naruto's face. The blond had almost looked… hurt. But that emotion had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, to be replaced by resentment and anger. Sasuke was surprised at first, but then he pushed the thoughts out of his mind. It must have been his imagination. Why would Naruto look hurt anyway? His yearning for Naruto was causing him to see things.

Sasuke stood up, facing the blond.

"What are you so worked up about? I thought you two had wanted to keep it a secret so of course I didn't say anything," he said in reply to Naruto's question.

Naruto looked displeased and angry but suddenly, his anger seemed to evaporate. As Naruto turned his face away, Sasuke was surprised to see that the blond was sulking.

"Ceh," the blond said, facing the opposite side. "You're supposed to be our closest friend. You should have said something if you had known…"

Sasuke scratched his head. He didn't really get why Naruto was so angry at him. Apparently, his decision to keep his silence on the issue didn't seem like such a good idea after all. Perhaps he _should_ have said something first. Looking at his two teammates now, he noticed that they seemed to have gone through a lot just to tell him about this. They had been so nervous! His silence had certainly caused them trouble. Perhaps it had even made him appear somewhat unconcerned about his friends… and maybe that's why Naruto was angry at him. Perhaps Naruto thought that Sasuke didn't care about him?

"Don't misunderstand. The reason I chose to keep quiet even though I knew was not because I wasn't concerned about the both of you. I just… thought you would have appreciated it if I remained silent out of respect to your feelings. I thought you weren't prepared to let me know yet… and that's why I didn't say anything. I didn't think I would offend you…" Sasuke explained quickly.

Hearing these words, Naruto bowed his head in shame. Sasuke had been kind enough to try and protect their feelings and yet, he had accused him unfairly. Sakura was quick in reacting to this.

"No, you didn't offend us, Sasuke-kun. And we do appreciate it," she said smiling. "I'm glad that you cared about us enough to think about all that. Arigato…"

"Err, yeah…" Naruto said softly. "I didn't mean to get angry at you or anything… It's just that… Sakura-chan was worried that you wouldn't accept our relationship or something... So that's why we were so nervous about letting you know about this…"

"Naruto!" Sakura said, blushing. "I was not worried! You were the one worried!"

Before the two could start quarreling, Sasuke cut in, a small smile on his face.

"And why would I not accept your relationship?" he asked. Of course he would accept it! He was the one whom pushed Sakura and Naruto together anyway. "There's no reason for me not to accept it. Besides, everything that happened before this… it's all in the past now, isn't it? So what's important now, is for everyone to be happy."

"_Almost everyone, anyway…"_

Sakura had smiled then, for she knew that Sasuke had accepted her relationship with Naruto. Despite Sasuke being the one whom had asked her to consider Naruto in the first place, she had been worried that the Uchiha had changed his mind after the 'big fight'. Fortunately, it appeared that he hadn't. A light feeling entered her heart and she smiled the prettiest smile she ever had to the two most important people in her life.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun. Arigato."

-End Flashback-

Snapping back out from yet another reminiscent moment, Sasuke took a deep breath. The sun was fully hidden behind the mountains now. It would be getting dark soon. His thoughts still continued to wander as he sat unmoving from his spot on the ground.

Ever since the confrontation, Sakura and Naruto had taken their relationship public. They didn't bother hiding their relationship anymore. It seemed that they had only kept it secret for the Uchiha's sake but now that he'd given them his approval, they were no longer holding back. In within two days, the whole of Konoha had heard about them.

Since then, Sakura and Naruto's relationship had become more… real. It was one thing when they were keeping it secret. At least, Sasuke could have still pretended that it wasn't true. He could just push it out of his mind and pretend not to see it. But when everyone else knew and talked about it, it became official. Naruto was taken. Taken by someone else. Someone the Uchiha himself had rejected. And the blond was happier than he could ever be…

The remainder of the two weeks had been much the same after that. People started to know about the news and changes in lifestyles occurred. To Sakura, Naruto and to Sasuke as well. It wasn't possible for Sasuke to not notice the change especially when he was a part of Team 7. Any change that happened in Sakura and Naruto's lifestyle would undoubtedly affect him too. And more changes were definitely becoming clearer as the days passed by.

It had only been after he witnessed all these changes that the hard truth had slapped Sasuke on the face. Naruto was gone now. He was out of reach. Whatever hope that Sasuke might have still had were extinguished. Just seeing the happiness he now shared with Sakura, Sasuke knew that Naruto was now lost to him. It was done. This was reality. Naruto… will never be his. From the start, there had never been a chance for him. He was a fool for letting his feelings carry on this far. But still he told himself, repeating the same thing everyday to himself, that as long as Naruto was happy, then that was all that mattered to him.

Now it has only been two weeks into Naruto's new relationship and already Sasuke was suffering. As Naruto spent more and more time with Sakura, and less and less time with him, he found himself at a loss. Cold and lonely. But there was nothing he could do. He could never tell anyone how he really felt inside. No one would ever know. And so, he would carry this burden on his own, till the day he died. If this was what he had to do for Naruto's happiness, he would willingly do it. He owed Naruto that much.

All he could do now was to be happy for his friends, or at least pretend to be. This was what they expected of him, as a close friend. He would gladly pretend to be happy, if only for his friends' sake.

Getting up, Sasuke brushed the dust off his clothes. Night had fallen, and the sky was dark. Konoha was blanketed with a sheet of grey. The moon had yet to come up and without a single source of light from the sky, the forest was pitch black. He really should be getting back.

Walking swiftly, the Uchiha coolly thrusted his hands into his pants pockets. He steadily picked up his pace, disappearing into the night as he made his way back to the village he could now call home.

* * *

At the Haruno household, things were quiet as Sakura was once again left alone in her house. Her parents were constantly away on business trips considering they were retired shinobis and now ran their own family business to earn their income. 

Seated at her desk, Sakura was reading the last few pages of the medical notes that Tsunade-sama - her mentor - had given her. Ever since the kunoichi had become a student of the great medic-nin, she had to constantly study and analyze books, notes, scrolls and everything else needed to learn the art of healing. If she didn't, Tsunade-sama certainly had made it clear that she had no problems with using brute force on her students, even if said student was a young and helpless female unlike the Hokage herself.

On the other hand, contrary to what some shinobis might believe that physical training was everything, Sakura felt a little studying was useful as well. After all, that was what she was best at.

She looked up from her notes and stared out her window. The outside night sky was a dull shade of grey. The sun had just disappeared behind the tall mountains far across the land. It was a chilly night and the atmosphere was peaceful. She felt at rest with herself.

Collecting the scattered notes on her table, she stacked them into a neat pile at the side of her study desk. Getting up, she moved closer to the window to get a clearer view of the night skies. Sakura leaned on the windowsill as she looked out into the night. Her arms resting on the concrete surface, she leaned her body forward against the side of the windowsill.

"It's a really peaceful night tonight…" she said to herself.

A light breeze blew through the window, ruffling her hair. Shivering slightly, she remained unmoving in her position at the window.

Many things had happened for the past few weeks. Beginning with her love confession to Sasuke, to the rejection and then the argument, up until now when she and Naruto had finally ended up being an item. It all seemed so surreal, as if it was a dream. But it wasn't.

When they had met up with Sasuke back at the forest during the Mist mission, Sakura had apologized profusely to Sasuke. She didn't know why, but a sudden wave of guilt had overcome her senses, making her feel that it was absolutely necessary to apologize for all the trouble she had put Sasuke through because of her own stubbornness. She was glad that Sasuke had forgiven her. For all that she had done, she could only be thankful.

Ever since the last time Sasuke had rejected her, she had finally gotten the message that her attempts with Sasuke were futile. And at long last, she learnt to let go. Ever since then, Sakura had felt reborn again.

Looking down when a sudden 'clang' sounded from below her window, she saw a group of young children playing happily with each other. They had toy kunais and shurikens in their hands and apparently, they were trying to throw them in a rubbish bin.

Sakura smiled. She missed being young where life was simply so easy. No worries, no problems. Just being happy everyday without really understanding how life worked. Seeing those happy faces below her windowsill, she was forcibly reminded of how simple it was back then. It wasn't that she was unhappy now anyway…

Sakura's smile stiffened. Then she forced herself to relax.

"_Ah. I'm thinking too much again. Stop being silly, Sakura…"_ she reprimanded herself.

Pushing the unwanted thoughts out of her head, she remembered the life that she had now. The life that included Naruto.

Two weeks had passed since Naruto had entered her life, and things had never been the same. Most of her time, she had spent with the blond. Whether it was training, a date or just a normal daily routine, they had spent it together. It had all been thoroughly fun. She still remembered the very first date they had been on. It had been right after the Mist mission.

-Flashback-

"One more bowl of miso ramen please, ojiisan!" Naruto called.

"Hai! One bowl of miso ramen coming up!"

Naruto waited eagerly as he stared at the back of the old man who was now preparing his ramen. Three empty bowls were stacked neatly at his side, but his hands never let go of his chopsticks as he impatiently awaited his favourite meal.

Sakura giggled beside him. She was only on her first bowl of ramen. He turned his face towards her, confused at her laughter.

"What are you laughing about, Sakura-chan?" he asked her, his face blank and his excitement for ramen dwindling slightly.

Sakura smiled brightly at him before answering.

"You're weird, Naruto!" she said. "I've never seen anyone so excited about ramen before."

Naruto's grin came back on his face full force.

"Of course! Ramen is like, the greatest food in the world! No, it's the greatest thing ever created in the whole world!"

Sakura giggled again at his enthusiastic words.

"Hai! Sorry for the wait!" the old man that owned Ichiraku's announced, setting the bowl of ramen in front of the blond.

Without further ado the blond then tucked into his meal wordlessly. As he gobbled up his food, he heard Sakura's voice as she spoke.

"Anyway, it was nice of Sasuke-kun to let us off like that," the pink haired chuunin said.

"I feel kind of bad, leaving him with all the work like that…"

"Don't... 'munch, munch'… worry about it. Sasuke… 'munch, munch'… can handle everything on his own," Naruto managed to say in between mouthfuls of ramen.

"Still… maybe we should have gone with him… It _is_ our responsibility too…" she said slowly, lowering the hand that held her chopsticks as guilt suddenly washed over her.

Gulping down the last of his ramen, Naruto turned to Sakura.

"Daijoubo yo, Sakura-chan. If Sasuke says its fine, then it's fine. Besides, he wouldn't have let us off if he didn't think it was alright, would he? So, just enjoy yourself now. It's not often that we're let off easy like this."

Sakura remained silent for awhile as she thought of those words. Looking up awhile later, she smiled at her new… boyfriend.

"You're right, Naruto. It's over and done with anyway. Let's just relax for now, ne?"

"That's right!" Naruto's wide grin spread on his face again. When he was certain that Sakura was assured, he turned back to his front.

"Ojiisan! One more bowl!"

"Hai!" the old man replied to his best customer.

Sakura giggled again. Naruto's ramen fetish… was so cute sometimes.

-End Flashback-

Sakura laughed out loud at that memory. Naruto's obsession for ramen bordered on the brink of insanity. But she enjoyed watching the expression on his face as he ate bowl after bowl of his beloved ramen. It was one of pure, childish joy at something as simple as eating ramen.

Thinking back on the times they had spent together for the past two weeks, she thought that it had been very… interesting. It wasn't smooth sailing for them all the way. Their relationship had its hiccups too and more than once, they had gotten into an argument. She still remembered the first time they had a disagreement. It had been only the fifth day into their relationship.

-Flashback-

"Naruto?" Sakura called.

"Hmm?" the blond replied from the spot atop of a tree where he rested on, with his arms folded behind his head.

It was afternoon. Once again Team Seven were out for their daily training to upkeep their shinobi skills. Training had progressed for most of the day already and they were all taking a well-deserved break. However, Sasuke was not around having excused himself right after they had decided it was time for a break.

"Where do you think Sasuke-kun's gone to?" Sakura asked from her position under the tree that the blond boy was resting on, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Naruto didn't answer immediately. His eyes were closed as he laid his back on the trunk of the tree. He was trying to savor every bit of rest he could get before they started training again. Finally, he answered the girl's question in a soft voice.

"I don't know. Off resting somewhere I guess…"

Sakura kept quiet. There had been something on her mind for the past few days now but she had not brought it up. Something that had bothered her greatly…

"Naruto… There's something I want to talk to you about…" she said, a firm tone entering her voice.

Naruto opened one lazy eye at the serious tone in her voice. He gazed down at her.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly curious.

"… It's… about us," she answered.

"…Us?"

Sakura nodded. Turning her head upwards so that she could see Naruto's facial expression, she voiced out the very thing that had been bothering her.

"Don't you think we should tell Sasuke-kun about our relationship?"

The blond froze. Then, he relaxed himself again.

"Err… tell Sasuke?" he managed to mumble out after awhile.

Sakura nodded. "I don't want the thing about us being together kept secret anymore. We don't have anything to hide."

Naruto looked uncomfortable. "…Er… yeah… I guess…"

Sakura looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"So it's settled! _You'll_ tell Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto was flabbergasted. Gaping, he started to sputter.

"M.. me? Why _me_? No way it's gonna be me!" Naruto said indignantly, frowning down at the girl with his arms crossed.

Sakura frowned. "Of course it has to be you. You're the guy. Be a man, for heaven's sake! Besides, _you're_ his best friend."

Naruto could only continue to gape at her but found nothing to argue with. Turning away, he sulked.

"Why do I have to do it…?" he muttered under his breath. Hearing this, Sakura frowned.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with letting everyone know about our relationship?"

"No… it's not that-"

"Then what's your problem!"

Sakura was starting to get angry. Noticing this, Naruto sighed. Jumping down from the top branch, he landed gracefully beside the girl. Kneeling closer to her, he put his hand on her shoulder only to have it shrugged away angrily. Faltering slightly, he slowly explained.

"I… I don't mean anything bad, Sakura-chan…"

Sakura turned to glare at him.

"What do you mean by that? You're weird, Naruto. You say you love me, yet when we're together, you don't want us to be seen!"

This was true. For the past few days, Naruto had tried his best to avoid being seen in public with Sakura but for what reason, Sakura didn't know. The blond kept his silence as the girl continued to glare at him.

Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to say anything to defend himself, Sakura turned away. Different emotions rose in her as her anger faded. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped as she found it difficult to get the words out. Balling her fists, she forced herself to say what she had been thinking of all this while.

"Maybe… you don't _want_ anyone to know of our relationship…"she started, her voice shaking. Naruto looked up at her, surprised at the bitterness in her voice. The pink haired girl continued to speak.

"Perhaps… perhaps… you regret being with me?" she spluttered out with much difficulty and all of a sudden, she started to pour all her feelings out. "I.. I understand. Maybe you can't accept me. After everything that I've done to you, the way I treated you before… I..I understand if you can't forgive me…"

Naruto's eyes were as round as saucers by now. He stared at the girl in front of him. She looked miserable and tears were threatening to spill from her eyes as she stared sadly at the ground. Immediately, he grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at him.

"No! That's not it, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura struggled against his hold but the blond refused to let go. Looking away ashamedly, Sakura stopped fighting against him.

"You…you don't have to say that just to make me feel better… You don't have to force yourself to be with me if you don't want to…"

"No! Sakura-chan, listen to me! You're getting it wrong! You see… the reason I wanted to keep it secret is because… I didn't want to hurt you!"

Sakura was confused. "What do you mean you didn't want to hurt me?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his place. Sakura's watery, green eyes were boring into him. Looking down, he replied in a soft voice.

"I'm the Kyuubi, Sakura-chan. You know that."

That much was true. Sakura had found out that Naruto was the Kyuubi awhile ago but that had not affected their relationship anyway.

"I know that. But what does that have to do…?"

"Sakura-chan, you don't understand," the blond interrupted. "The villagers hate me. If they found out you were with me… I don't know what they'd do to you…"

Sakura was surprised. She had never thought about it that way before. And all of a sudden, things became clearer to her. The reason why Naruto was so wary about displaying their relationship publicly, it had all been because of this. Feeling relieved that Naruto really did not regret being with her after all, she chuckled softly.

"Oh, Naruto… You can be so stupid sometimes."

Before Naruto could protest at being called stupid, the kunoichi leant her head on his chest, successfully shutting him up.

"Naruto… listen to me. I don't care what people say. It doesn't matter," she said.

"But…"

Sakura shook her head, cutting him off. Looking up to meet his eyes, she smiled reassuringly.

"Just believe in me, Naruto. Or… do you not… trust me?"

Naruto stared into her eyes. The feelings she had for him were all there, shining straight at him so intensely that he felt blinded by it. How could he _not_ trust her? Smiling in return, he answered.

"Of course I trust you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's only reply was a warm smile in which Naruto smiled back. Staying like that for awhile, there was a short silence between them. Then, Sakura spoke up again.

"But… that still doesn't mean we can't tell Sasuke-kun, does it? You know Sasuke-kun will never do anything to hurt us."

Sakura didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but Naruto's smile after that seemed to be a bit forced.

"Hai… I know…" he had answered softly and Sakura swore she could hear something akin to hesitation and grimness in his voice. Shoving it off as paranoia and her imagination running wild again, she decided to ignore it.

"It doesn't matter if everyone finds out anyway. I'm not afraid," Sakura continued bravely.

Another pause followed in which Sakura allowed the effect of her words to sink in. Finally Naruto, whom had been staring blankly into space for the past few minutes since the pause started, smiled gently.

"Okay then. I'll do it."

Sakura turned a questioning look at him, hardly daring to believe. "You'll do it?"

Naruto nodded. "Hai. I'll tell… Sasuke, if it'll make you happy."

Sakura smiled brightly at him. She hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Naruto. You don't know how much this means to me," she said. Indeed, Naruto didn't know how much his agreement to make their relationship public meant to Sakura. His agreement meant that he had truly accepted her and cared about her. It was substantive proof that the two of them were now one.

However, when she turned to look back up at her boyfriend's face, she was surprised. There was an expression on the blond's face that she could not decipher. One thing's for sure though, he seemed… troubled. But that look was wiped off immediately to be replaced by a reassuring smile when the blond realized that he was being stared at.

Sinking into the warm embrace, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. Nevertheless, her worries were soon forgotten when she realized that they were late in getting back to training.

-End Flashback-

Ever since getting together, Naruto seemed to dislike being in public. The only place he willingly went with Sakura was Ichiraku's ramen stall. Whenever Sakura suggested going out somewhere else, he was reluctant. Even today, when she had asked him to shorten his practice time to accompany her in running an errand for Tsunade-sama, he had seemed unhappy. But, he did not say anything. It was odd. Naruto had been acting weird since hooking up with her. Asking him to spend time with her wasn't too much now, was it?

Sakura frowned at her own question. Naruto's reluctance and weird actions… were causing her to think and one thought was certainly bothering her greatly… Naruto didn't seem to enjoy going out with her so much… Shaking her head, she reprimanded herself for thinking too much again. She resumed her earlier, albeit _happier,_ thoughts. She remembered when they had first become a public item. Sasuke had been the first to know, after much work of persuading Naruto to stop keeping their relationship a secret. Why Naruto had not wanted to tell Sasuke about it, Sakura was still unsure. She had thought that maybe the blond had been too embarrassed and so she left the matter at that.

When they had finally told Sasuke about their relationship, his acceptance had worked wonders in getting Naruto to open up. Soon, the whole village knew about them and the blond wasn't so uptight about being discreet anymore. And Sakura was grateful for that. She didn't like to pretend that nothing was happening when indeed there was something going on, especially since it involved such an important aspect of her own life.

And true to Naruto's worries, indeed some villagers started to avoid her as well after learning of her new relationship, labelling her as the Kyuubi's 'mate'. She blushed at that nickname. But she didn't care much about them. People that couldn't see through into Naruto's true nature weren't worth her concern.

Soon after, some of their friends had also found out about them. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were the only team that wasn't out on missions, apart from them. All of their other friends were out on their own assigned missions and so, only the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had found out. They had congratulated them and Ino had joked with her that in the end, none of them were able to get Sasuke. Sakura had laughed along. It seemed so ridiculous that after all that rivalry, neither of them had won since Ino too was with Shikamaru now. And they were as happy as can be.

It had been even funnier when they had told Kakashi-sensei. When the silver-haired jounin had finally come back from his mission, it had already been more than a week since the Mist mission ended and since Naruto and Sakura's relationship had begun. Kakashi-sensei had been so surprised, or so he had appeared to be.

-Flashback-

"Is it true?" the older man asked.

Sakura beamed in reply, blushing. Glancing at Naruto who stood beside her, she bowed down. The whole of Team 7 had been training again in the training grounds as usual when their mentor had finally reappeared after so long of working on a private mission.

He had just come as carefree as ever and greeted them. Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura had all halted their training to greet the person whom they haven't seen for more than a week. They had just been idly chatting for awhile as they took the chance to take a break from their training, talking about the Mist mission and what had been going on in their teacher's absence. While they were on that topic, Kakashi-sensei had suddenly announced that he had been hearing some rumors about the blond and the pink-haired girl and thus, led to his question now.

"So, it's true what the villagers are saying? About the two of you…?" he had asked.

Blushing bright red, Sakura smiled shyly, leaving Naruto to nod in reply to his sensei's question.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei. It's true," the blond replied passively. Sakura didn't notice this lack of emotion in her embarrassment.

However, Sakura DID notice something else. If anyone had been looking at Kakashi's face properly, they would have seen that his visible eye had widened considerably at the answer that Naruto had just uttered. He had given the Uchiha, who was keeping a small distance from the other two, a fleeting glance, as if he knew something others didn't. But no one saw all this, except Sakura. But when Kakashi's face broke into a gentle smile, Sakura couldn't help but think that all she had just saw was merely a figment of her imagination…

Putting on a smiling mask, Kakashi congratulated them in his usual, careless way.

"Yare, yare. Good for you two, Naruto, Sakura," he smiled through his face mask. "However, make sure you continue to pay proper attention in team missions, okay?"

His face was covered, but Sakura could tell that he was grinning cheekily underneath that mask of his. The last of her doubts pushed out of her mind, she blushed furiously and totally forgot about the weird expression that had crossed the older man's face.

At that time, while she sat there trying to get her blushing under control, they had thought that she hadn't noticed, but she did. She had seen the concerned expression that fell back in place on Kakashi's face when he thought she wasn't looking as he glanced from Naruto to Sasuke, neither whom seemed to want to meet his gaze.

-End Flashback-

Sakura frowned. Come to think of it, that had been weird. Why was Kakashi-sensei so worried? Sakura felt uneasy as she thought about it.

This was stupid. The more she tried not to think of it, the more she was remembering weird things. Everything seemed to lead her to think about her and Naruto's relationship, their problems, and the… uneasiness Sakura had been having as of late. More and more abnormalities were surfacing now and she was starting to get worried. It seemed like things weren't what she thought they were and she was starting to have doubts.

Once again, she tried to push the disturbing thoughts out of her head, not wanting to remind herself of the problems she knew had started surfacing but her mind had other plans for her. She just couldn't seem to get the thoughts out of her head and her worries just seemed to increase.

All in all, she just felt that… her relationship with Naruto, wasn't really what she had expected it to be. Maybe she was hoping for too much, but still… she just had a feeling that Naruto was… regretting being with her. But it was still just a feeling…

They'd had their fair share of fights as a couple, from their first argument about going public to silly things such as which brand of soap to buy when out shopping for groceries. Not that Naruto liked to do shopping much anyway. He was used to leaving things like groceries and food, except ramen, till everything was used up while Sakura preferred to have things ready when they are needed. So it was rapidly becoming a habit for Sakura to take the blond out on weekends to restock his grocery supplies, with much whining from the blond shinobi, who considered these things 'unimportant' compared to training. His dream of becoming Hokage must be getting stronger everyday. Which wasn't entirely a bad thing in a way.

Sure, they'd had their arguments but that was normal in every relationship, wasn't it? Sakura felt really uneasy now. Somehow, she just felt that things weren't as normal as she hoped it was. Naruto wasn't acting normal… His refusal to go public, his reluctance to let even his best friend know about them… Even Kakashi-sensei had acted odd when he'd found out. Maybe she was missing something? She just couldn't lay a finger on it! What was wrong? Why was Naruto acting like this?

Sighing, Sakura took one last look at the night sky. The dark spell had lifted, revealing the glow of the moon and stars, so clear in the night sky. The sky was now beautifully decorated with the glitter of the night stars. Perhaps she was just thinking too much. She was just not used to being in a relationship. She smiled to herself, deciding not to think about it, for now. It would be plain stupid to worry herself silly now when nothing was sure yet. She was probably just being paranoid. Deciding to leave it at that, she took a deep breath and pushed the confusing thoughts away from her mind.

Just two weeks before, she would never have dreamt of being with Naruto, but things sure have turned out differently. She was glad that she had let go of the past, and she really hoped things will work out between her and Naruto.

Stepping away from the window, Sakura turned to the bathroom to get washed up for bed. She decided not to think about it anymore. Whatever the problem was, she was sure she could work it out. But even though she tried to convince herself of that, even though she forced her mind to stop dwelling on it, she _still_ couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that was slowly growing in her heart.

* * *

"Ah… I really miss your cooking, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said in between mouthfuls of Iruka-sensei's homemade supper. 

"I'm glad you like it, Naruto," the brown haired man replied, smiling.

Naruto was currently at the older man's house for supper after so long of not getting together with his 'older brother.' Iruka's busy schedule, in between classes at the academy and his own missions, had rendered Naruto unable to even speak to the older man properly for quite some time now. He had missed Iruka and was glad that he finally got a chance to see him, the first person whom had truly cared and believed in the blond. He was special to Naruto.

And so, here they were now at Iruka's house. Iruka had invited the blond over for a homemade supper so that they got a chance to 'catch up' on things. Naruto happily ate his meal. Iruka's cooking was the only food other than ramen that Naruto truly enjoyed.

"Mmm! Iruka-sensei, the food is great! As always!" Naruto said.

The older man chuckled.

"Thank you, Naruto. But you better slow down or you'll choke," he advised, seeing that Naruto was relentlessly shoving all the food he could reach into his mouth. Naruto merely grinned sheepishly in return and slowed down.

Iruka picked up his chopsticks as he ate the wonderfully prepared food. He had spent time and effort making the meal since his favourite student was coming. They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments before Iruka attempted small talk. It had been awhile since they last talked and Iruka wanted to know what had been going on with the blond.

"So, what have you been doing lately while I was busy with my work?" the brown haired man asked, picking at his tofu.

"Oh, nothing much, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied in a nonchalant manner. "I've just been training a little lately, you know, to sharpen my skills. Although I haven't been training as much as I used to now. Been… busy. But Kakashi-sensei doesn't seem to think that there's anything wrong with that. He says that even shinobis need a break, as long as we don't slack off too much."

Iruka smiled good-naturedly at that.

"Well, what he says is right. It'll be fine to just kick back and relax sometimes. After all, even shinobis are humans."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, Iruka-sensei. I guess I'll just take a little time-off."

Iruka nodded at those words, smiling pleasantly the whole time.

Naruto grinned back at his sensei before continuing. "Other than that, nothing much has been happening. Everyone's so busy lately. Not counting Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino, I don't think I've seen any of the other teams for weeks already!"

Iruka nodded. "That's true. Recently there just happens to be lots of work to be done. So a lot of people have been forced into working hard to accomplish their duties."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, forgetting to eat for a moment. It seemed Team 7 were one of the few teams that were allowed to relax during this busy time of year. They were probably kept in the village to serve the purpose of emergency backup just in case anything happened to the village when the rest of the shinobis weren't around.

"I feel kinda bad. Here I am taking it easy while everyone's working so hard. I really shouldn't slack off either! I'll train harder!" Naruto vowed suddenly.

"That's fine, Naruto. But remember to take care of yourself. Don't overdo it," the chuunin advised in a brotherly tone.

"Hai, Iruka-sensei," Naruto answered before he promptly went back to his food.

As silence reigned once more, Iruka glanced at Naruto expectantly. After awhile, he realized that Naruto wasn't going to say anything else. Mentally preparing himself, Iruka decided to bring up the topic that he had _really_ wanted to talk about.

"So, Naruto. Is that all that's happened all this while that I didn't see you?" he questioned in a neutral tone.

Naruto seemed to think for awhile, then, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, that's about all. I don't think there's anything else," the blond replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Iruka sighed. This won't work. He didn't know if Naruto was truly dense or if he was purposely avoiding the topic. He then decided to directly bring the topic up himself.

"Well, I've heard things about you and Sakura-chan," the older man stated bluntly.

Naruto froze. His hands that had been holding the chopsticks stopped in mid-air for a moment. And then he relaxed and shrugged slightly.

"So you've heard too," Naruto said, resuming his meal. Iruka himself had long since stopped eating, more interested in the talk than anything else.

"Hai, I have. I wanted to congratulate you. It's good that you've found happiness," Iruka said carefully.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, continuing to eat, his face expressionless. But Iruka was suspicious. Naruto's lack of emotion for this issue was… disconcerting. He kept silent for awhile, watching the blond for any change in facial expression. When Naruto's face continued to betray nothing, the older chuunin let out a sigh.

"I knew it."

Naruto looked up from his meal at the sound, staring confusedly at Iruka.

"Hmm? Knew what?" he asked.

Iruka stared straight into Naruto eyes. "You don't have to hide it, Naruto."

Naruto's body tensed, further confirming the brown haired man's suspicions. Smiling nervously, Naruto tried to find a way out of this situation.

"Wh.. what are you talking about, Iruka-sensei? What have I got to hide?"

"Don't pretend, Naruto!" Iruka scolded. "You know as well as I do that you can't keep secrets from me. There's something wrong, isn't it?"

Naruto didn't answer. Upon realizing that he was cornered, he set his bowl and chopsticks down on the table. Folding his arms together as he set them on the table, he looked thoughtful.

"Heh. I guess I should have known better than to keep it from you… ne? Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said, a small smile on his face. Iruka-sensei always could see through him so easily.

Iruka nodded. He was determined to have a good talk with his student seeing that he was obviously troubled.

"But before that, how did you know that something was up?" Naruto asked. "We haven't seen each other lately."

The thought of a certain silver-haired jounin and the time which said jounin and himself had had a talk crossed Iruka's mind. Yes. It was Kakashi whom had told him.

"I have my sources," Iruka answered simply. Understanding the silent request from Iruka-sensei to not question further, Naruto refrained from asking again.

"So… it's about your relationship with Sakura-chan, isn't it?" Iruka asked. "Is there some kind of problem?"

Naruto bowed his head. He paused. Moments passed and Iruka waited with patience. He would allow Naruto all the time he needed to get ready to tell him. He wanted to help his student in any way possible and if he could do that, the wait would be worthwhile. Suddenly, Naruto let out a huge sigh. After much hesitation and contemplation on the blond's part, he seemed to have finally decided to talk.

"I wouldn't exactly call it problems…" he started.

Iruka merely nodded, encouraging the blond to go on. Naruto continued.

"I don't know what's wrong, really… We were alright… we still are… but…"

Naruto kept interrupting himself. Yet, Iruka waited patiently. He knew that Naruto would continue to speak when he was prepared to.

"Somehow, there's just…something… wrong… but I don't know what!" Naruto said, frowning. From his face, Iruka could tell that Naruto wasn't lying. He really didn't know what was the problem. Naruto now seemed eager to launch into his story, as if releasing pent-up feelings that had been kept bottled all this while.

"At first, everything was fine. We were okay… And then, this… 'problems' started when Sakura-chan wanted people to know about us… There shouldn't have been a problem with that but for some reason, I didn't feel like going public yet… But since Sakura-chan wanted to… I just went her way…"

Iruka listened intently, watching Naruto's face. There was a very thoughtful expression on the blond now. Then, Naruto continued.

"And after that… she wanted us to go out more often… Buying groceries, shopping… It was boring. I didn't really want to go, but she wanted me to… so I did…. Even today… she dragged me off to run an errand for Hokage-sama… it made me miss my training time…"

He trailed off, his face now sporting a slightly frustrated frown. He thought for awhile before continuing.

"I don't really like it when she tells me what to do…"

Iruka nodded. He knew something like this would happen. Sakura was the bossy type. She would be the one arranging Naruto's life now that she has become his girlfriend. On the other hand, Naruto, whom had lived on his own for his whole life, was used to his freedom to do whatever he liked, whenever he wanted. The blond was continuing his story.

"I don't know what's wrong, Iruka-sensei but I just… feel weird. It's like… I'm missing something here. I just feel so… pressured with Sakura-chan… I want her to be happy always, even if it means trouble for me… but…"

He took a deep breath. Reaching for his now cold cup of tea, he gulped it all down before resuming his story.

'I really love her, Iruka-sensei. I DO care… but why… why do I feel like this? Why do I feel as if I don't enjoy being with Sakura-chan? I mean, she's a great girl and all that… but… something's… just not right!"

Out of anger, Naruto gripped his own hair, pulling at it.

"Argh! What's wrong with me? This is what I've always wanted! So why do I feel like this isn't right? Why do I feel this way ever since being with Sakura-chan? I'm supposed to be happy! I don't get it!"

Iruka quickly got up. He removed Naruto's grip from his own blond strands.

"Calm down, Naruto. Getting angry isn't going to help you."

Relaxing, Naruto bowed his head down forlornly. Iruka looked at the blond. Letting out a deep breath, he smiled slightly.

"Maybe you're just feeling the pressure now, Naruto," he said.

"Pressure?" Naruto asked blanky, looking up interestedly.

"Hai. Maybe you're just not used with the idea of being together with someone yet, so that's why you're all confused."

Naruto thought about it. "That's a good point."

'However…" Iruka cut in.

Naruto looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Maybe there's more to what you're feeling now…" he said knowledgeably.

Naruto was confused.

"What are you…?"

"Listen Naruto. I can't tell you for sure what is wrong. Maybe it's just the pressure, maybe its not… or maybe… something else… something that you haven't realized yet, is the source to this problem…" Iruka seemed to glance knowingly at the blond when he said this. Then, he continued.

"Or maybe all you need is just a little time. But I want you to know that whatever it is, I'm behind you," the man said with a supportive smile.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," the blond replied appreciatively.

Naruto thought about it for awhile. Then he broke into a grin.

"Well, whatever it is, I _do_ need a bit more time before deciding what to do next. So what will happen, will happen. No use worrying now," he said brightly.

Iruka nodded. "Hai, that's the way, Naruto."

"Thanks for being concerned, Iruka-sensei."

"It's no problem at all. Remember, if there are any problems let me know. I'll always be here to help."

"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei, I'll remember that. Thanks… for caring."

"Not at all," he replied humbly. Looking at the table, he frowned at the unfinished food which laid forgotten. "Ah. We've forgotten about supper! We'd better continue eating before it gets cold."

The blond let out a bright grin, immediately picking up his chopsticks and bowl again.

"Alright! Let's eat!" the blond said excitedly. Iruka smiled, a thought entering his mind.

"_May you find true happiness, Naruto. With the person you really love… even if you may not know who it is yet…"_

* * *

The night breeze blew against tanned skin as Naruto walked home with a full tummy from his supper at Iruka's. The meal had been good so Naruto was currently feeling extremely satisfied. 

As he walked through the streets of Konoha with his hands folded behind his head, he glanced up at the night sky. The sky was bright, an opposite of the dull sheet of grey that had covered it in the evening. Stars were appearing as the clouds cleared, revealing the glittering sight.

"The sky is beautiful again tonight…" the blond said with a gentleness no one knew he had in his voice.

He then proceeded to remember the talk he'd had with Iruka-sensei and a small frown appeared on his face. He thought that he had done a good job at keeping his recent discomfort a secret but obviously he'd been wrong. The turmoil he had been feeling and had hidden carefully was noticed by Iruka. He suddenly wondered if anyone else had realized it as well…

He sighed heavily. "At least, I hope _Sakura-chan_ didn't realize anything off lately…"

He had never told anybody about this until today, but ever since getting together with Sakura, he had been feeling uneasy. At first, he had started off a happy man. He had finally achieved his wish of being with his dream girl. But after that, the happiness… sort of wore out.

His dates with Sakura had been fun. Just being with her and spending time together felt great. But it was just that. He didn't feel that their relationship had changed in any way, other than the extra time that they spent with each other. The uneasy feelings he felt was further aggravated when she started to become more of the dictator in their relationship. She always wanted one thing or another. Sure, he always did whatever she wanted, but lately, she wanted even more of him. And he was starting to feel… pressured by her demands. He never got things his way anymore… and Naruto being Naruto, could never say no to Sakura… so he had no choice, but to run his life according to Sakura's style even when he didn't want to.

Still, that wasn't even the main problem. Sakura could continue manipulating him all she wanted for all anybody cared. After all, their relationship even before this had always been that way, with her having the upper hand in the relationship. No, that wasn't the problem. There was something else… something… something that he had yet to grasp. It felt like he had forgotten something important, or was overlooking it. Like this whole thing just wasn't _right_…

But why wouldn't this be right? He loved Sakura didn't he? He wanted her to be happy always and would do anything for her. He would be devastated if she was unhappy. So that meant he loved her, right? If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was!

Thus, the confusion he had now. He realized that he had been acting odd lately, probably due to the doubts he had been having. But he didn't want to tell anybody just yet. Partly because he wasn't sure what was wrong in the first place and partly because… he couldn't risk Sakura finding out… and hurting her…

Naruto picked up his pace. This was so frustrating. He had finally gotten what he had always wanted and yet he didn't feel as happy as he thought he would be. But still, in the end it was his love for her that mattered… Only problem was, he was starting to doubt the love he thought he had felt. Maybe… just maybe… this isn't love…? His doubts were accumulating.

Walking even faster, Naruto shook his head fiercely. Argh! What was he thinking? Of course its love! He was being stupid. Reprimanding himself angrily, he balled his fists fiercely. But on the other hand, he couldn't forget the uneasiness he felt. What _was_ this feeling? The feeling that this whole thing just wasn't right? What was _that_ about? The discomfort he felt so strongly now… Was his intuition trying to tell him something? His mind attacked him relentlessly.

Naruto broke out in a run. Not wanting to think, not wanting to face it. This was why he hated to think too much. It complicated matters. And his simple mind didn't like complicated things. But life had always been complicated for the blond whom had the Kyuubi stored in him since as young as he could ever remember.

Finally, he came to a stop. While he was running he did not realize where he was going. Somehow, he had ended up at a crossroad in the middle of town.

Gasping for breath, Naruto thought to himself.

"_That's enough. I don't want to think about it anymore. I should just do as Iruka-sensei says. Maybe what I need is just a little more time. So that's what I should do. Wait and see what happens."_

Making up his mind, Naruto felt better. Although it seemes as if he was taking the cowards way out of the situation, he trusted that a little time would probably do him good. With his head all messed up now, it was impossible for him to resolve anything. And anyway, Iruka-sensei always gave the best advice. If time was what Iruka thought he needed, then time was what he would take. It had always been this way. Whenever Naruto had a problem, he always went to see Iruka-sensei. It always made him feel better to know that the older man would always be behind him. However, in the rare cases that Iruka-sensei really wasn't around, Naruto always thought that the next person that he would choose to rely on would probably be Sasuke.

Naruto snorted as he continued his way home, feeling better now that he had decided to put whatever problems he had aside, for now. Hah! Speaking of Sasuke, that jerk would probably laugh his ass off at him if he were to tell him about his problems with Sakura. He could just hear it now. How he, the dobe, could screw up a relationship in just two weeks! Yeah. That bastard would just laugh... although he knew Sasuke didn't really mean anything bad by it. It was just in his nature to laugh at the blond every time he managed to screw up. Sasuke always seemed to find Naruto's antics, no matter how stupid and dim-witted, amusing. At first, Naruto was always annoyed and somewhat offended at how Sasuke would laugh at him but now, it became one of the many special things they did and shared together. He may not seem like it, but Sasuke _did_ make good company at times… and also, Sasuke always gave him a sense of peace that no one else could…

He remembered the last time the two of them had gone to Ichiraku's together. It was just a few weeks ago. That time, it had been to discuss about Sakura's depression from getting rejected by the Uchiha. It had seemed so long since then… He was seeing the Uchiha lesser and lesser everyday as Sakura took up more and more of his time. Not that he would ever admit it, but he was starting to miss the raven haired boy's company.

He suddenly remembered the time Sakura had forced him to tell Sasuke about their relationship. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know why, but he had been so reluctant to do so then. Why? Perhaps it was because he thought that Sasuke would laugh at him, or maybe even get angry at him. Up until now, he didn't know for sure what had caused the apprehension. What he _did_ knowwas that he really didn't like the idea of telling Sasuke about it. A weird feeling had propped up in him, as if dreading the brunette's reaction when the blond told him… which was weird. He had seemed almost… afraid at how Sasuke would react. Why he had felt that way on that day, was still a mystery to Naruto.

Whatever it was, it turned out that telling Sasuke was not as bad as he had imagined. The Uchiha had accepted it rather easily. Or rather, he had already known all along. So after that, Naruto had felt better about going public about his relationship. He didn't know why, but Sasuke's acceptance had been important…

Frowning at his latest thoughts, Naruto felt confused. And then, the blond shook his head slightly as if to remove those thoughts. Those were all in the past now. No point thinking about it anymore.

Oh well. He'd see Sasuke tomorrow at training anyway. Although admittedly, he was spending more time training with Sakura now… Thinking of Sakura reminded him of his problems again and a twinge of uneasiness started to creep into him again. Quickly, he shook his head before he fell back onto his problems. No. He wasn't supposed to think of it anymore. Let time lead the way. And with an air of determination, he forcefully pushed all unwanted thoughts out of his head.

And so he continued on his journey back home, thinking idly of useless things. He was starting to feel relaxed. That was, until he heard a pair of footsteps. The blond tensed immediately. He looked around at the surrounding shops and houses. The sound was coming from the street opposite from the one he was on. The blond was alert as he scanned his surroundings. He could see a figure coming his way.

When the figure came in within his range of sight, he relaxed. That said person was someone he had just been thinking about. Uchiha Sasuke.

"What are you doing out this late?" the blond asked when the raven haired boy came in within hearing range.

The Uchiha stopped walking halfway and looked up. He frowned at the blond.

"I could be asking you the same thing," he replied.

Naruto grinned. "Eheh. I was at Iruka-sensei's… for supper…"

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Ah. Okay."

The Uchiha was about to continue walking home when he was stopped again.

"Hey! You haven't answered me! What are you doing out so late?"

Sasuke gazed at Naruto for awhile before answering. "I was training…"

Naruto blinked. Sasuke was walking again. It seemed that the Uchiha intended to go home as soon as possible and wasn't in the mood for chatting. But Naruto was unperturbed. He ran to catch up with the taller boy, walking side-by-side with him.

"Training? It's already so late! You shouldn't overdo it, or you might hurt yourself…"

Sasuke turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised. After a pause in which Sasuke thought carefully of what he wanted to say, he then spoke in a serious tone as his face inched closer towards Naruto's.

"Are you worried about me?"

Naruto was taken aback. Sasuke's voice was low and his face was a little too close to the blond's for comfort. Out of shock and embarrassment, he let out a surprised yelp.

"WHAT!" he blurted. Turning away to avoid the Uchiha's gaze, he folded his arms across his chest, struggling to find a good comeback. "Who would worry about you?"

Sasuke didn't answer, but merely continued on his way home. Letting his embarrassment slide, Naruto walked with the taller boy in silence. They were heading towards the same way after all. That was, until they reached a split in the roads. Sasuke turned to leave using the road to his right which led to the Uchiha mansion, leaving Naruto to continue down the road on the left that led to the blond's house.

As Naruto watched Sasuke's retreating form into the darkness, he suddenly had an idea.

"Wait!" he called out.

Sasuke stopped. He waited for Naruto to say whatever it was he wanted to say, not turning around.

Naruto shuffled his feet nervously, wondering why he was finding this so hard to say all of a sudden.

"Err…" he started.

Sasuke's patience seemed to be wearing thin tonight. He didn't wait for Naruto to complete his sentence and took another few steps.

"Hold on! Sasuke! Would… would you like to go get something to eat? You haven't eaten, have you?" Naruto asked tentatively. Seeing no response from Sasuke, he went on.

"Since you're just done with training and all, I thought that you'd be hungry… It's been awhile since we last went out anyway and I know I've just eaten… but I always have space for some ramen!" the blond grinned eagerly.

Sasuke stopped. He seemed to be thinking about the blond's offer. It _had _been a long time since they went out together. They were used to going out for suppers at night ever since they had become closer. But for the last two weeks, Naruto did not have the time for their usual outings. Just two friends, sitting down, eating, arguing, talking, arguing and more arguing. It had been fun and undoubtedly, both of them had missed those times.

Deciding, Sasuke turned back around and made his way towards Naruto.

"Let's go then," the Uchiha said, his face expressionless, as usual.

Seeing that Sasuke had indirectly accepted his invitation, Naruto grinned widely. "Alright! Let's go to-"

He broke off suddenly. His body tensed, his senses on full alert. He saw Sasuke do the same too. Apparently he had felt it as well. Someone was watching them…

Naruto put his hand close to his small pack at his back, getting ready to grab a kunai if he had to. Sasuke had his fists gripped tightly. They scanned the area around them.

Suddenly, a soft tapping sound came from a roof of one of the buildings. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked up. Nothing. They were becoming increasingly suspicious now. Someone was up on the roofs. And it was undoubtedly a shinobi…

Another tap came from yet another roof. Naruto extended his senses to reaffirm his suspicions. There was no doubt about it.

"Sasuke…"

"Aa…"

Sasuke understood what Naruto wanted to say. There was more than one of them up there. And judging by the way they hid their chakra, they were quite skilled shinobi.

Suddenly, Naruto saw one of the shadows shift on the roofs. Without waiting another moment, he grabbed a kunai from his little bag and launched it towards the spot.

"Over there!" he cried.

PLANG!

The kunai hit one of the roof tiles. Then, they saw a figure moving. Naruto and Sasuke prepared themselves for attack when suddenly the figure jumped down, revealing itself.

"Abunai… That was dangerous…"

Naruto's jaw dropped open. Sasuke's eyebrows merely rose slightly.

"Thick-eyebrows!"

Green jumpsuit, a chuunin jacket, abnormally thick eyebrows… No doubt about it. It was the one and only, Rock Lee.

"Hai! Long time no see, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun!" Lee greeted, flashing his 'ultra-bright' smile.

Two more figures dropped down from the rooftops. Neji and Tenten. Landing next to the three at the bottom, Neji nodded his head in greeting while Tenten smiled.

Still gaping, Naruto stared at them in shock. Sasuke had relaxed himself by now and had his hands in his pockets as he stared at all the people assembled there.

It took a full minute for Naruto to break out of his shock but when he did, he grinned at them. "Aa. It's been a long time, alright. Welcome back!"

To Be Continued

A/N So! Naruto and Sakura's relationship has problems! But Sasuke doesn't know yet and thinks they're happy together! And Naruto is still as slow as ever in these things. Finally. Some new characters. And about time too. It would seem really silly if the whole Naruto world revolved only around Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura, wouldn't it? More characters to come in future chapters! Also, I know this chapter may be a bit confusing. I wanted to shorten Naruto and Sakura's whole relationship experience a little or else this fic will turn too much into a NaruSaku. We wouldn't want that right? And some of you may think that this fic is starting to get boring. Lots of words with nothing much happening. I know. But don't worry, because the REAL plot is coming up. 'Something' is gonna happen to 'someone', 'somehow', 'somewhere.' More things will happen when that comes, and I assure you, its very soon so please bear with me for now. Thank you! And also, sorry for the late reply! I have reasons! Look at the important note below.

Important Note : Due to my college schedule, I am becoming increasingly busy. My trials are coming soon and my finals not long after that. And before all that, I have loads of assignments, projects, presentations, etc, to work on. Not to mention, the weekly tests and tutorials I'll be having. Don't worry. I'll still work on this fic, although I will be slower from now onwards. I'll try to keep the updates coming in within a month. But if I'm late, you know why. And just for everyone's knowledge, I'll NEVER discontinue this fic because I know how frustrating it can be. So I'll definitely be seeing this fic till the end. Thank you for everyone's support! And don't forget to review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 26 MAY 2006 at 2.26am**

A/N I'm sorry for my lateness! I did warn that my work was threatening to overwhelm me; didn't I? Hehe. Anyway, the most important thing now is I that I HAVE finally managed to update. Here's Chapter 8. Thanks to all that have reviewed so far. Resha-hime deeply appreciates your support and hope that you will al continue to enjoy this fic! By the way, someone asked if this story will be a NaruSaku. The answer is 'No it won't'. As you can see below, the main pairing is SasuNaru. So just wait for it alright? We're getting there! Meanwhile, here's the long since overdue Chapter 8. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : Yaoi. If anyone is uncomfortable with that then DON'T read further.

Pairings : SasuNaru (main) and other various pairings

Chapter 8

"So, what have you guys been up to for the past few months?" Naruto asked two of his other companions, as he once again sat slurping on a bowl of his favourite ramen.

Neither one of his friends who were accompanying him answered immediately. Neji continued to sip on a cup of hot green tea while Lee busied himself with his own bowl of ramen. Sasuke merely minded his own business, silently eating his own food which was also a bowl of ramen since they were at Ichiraku's Ramen Stall and the menu did have nothing but ramen.

It was already quite late into the night but still the four figures seated comfortably at the stall were taking their own sweet time, catching up on the weeks of not meeting each other. After Naruto and Sasuke had met with Neji, Lee and Tenten earlier, they had decided to go out for a night-time snack together since they had not seen each other in a long while and also because everyone except Naruto had not eaten their dinner. However, Tenten had excused herself, saying that she was too tired and that she didn't want to be in the way of their 'guys only' time.

Swallowing a mouthful of ramen, Lee decided to answer Naruto's question. "We have been on a mission, of course."

Naruto nodded, understanding the meaningful look that Lee had shot at him.

"The Hidden Sound?" Naruto inquired further, his concentration partly on his ramen and partly on the conversation.

"Hai. That's right, Naruto-kun. After all, since Orochimaru's reign ended, things have been chaotic at the Sound territory," Lee answered in his ever-polite speech.

"Things still aren't getting better yet over there?"

Lee shook his head sadly, his expression full of regret. "No, they're still at it. The same as before, or perhaps even worse. Still fighting."

Naruto didn't have anything to say to that. Ever since Orochimaru had been permanently disposed of during the fight to get Sasuke back, the Hidden Sound had been in a total mess. Many shinobi clans and even rich landlords, had risen, trying to take Orochimaru's place as the leader of the Hidden Sound Village. Everyone wanted the power to rule, to gain the title of most powerful and feared in the land. And so they fought and warred against each other to earn the right to become Orochimaru's successor.

It had already been two years since the fights broke out - almost immediately after Orochimaru was defeated - yet they were showing no signs of ceasing yet. Konoha Village had taken it as their responsibility to see to it that the Sound Village's peace was restored once again, since it had been them whom had gotten rid of Orochimaru in the first place, thus disrupting the peace in the Sound lands and throwing them into this mess. Even when it _was _the evil Orochimaru whom had ruled over these lands before, there had been peace due to the fact that nobody dared to go against him. But since the snake-like Sannin was now gone, suppressed feelings of greediness and egotistical pride resurfaced as the peoples battled it out to claim the throne that Orochimaru had occupied all these years, causing much disaster and devastation across the lands.

One of the steps that had been taken by other villages in a joint-effort to help resolve this problem was by sending their shinobis over to try and restore peace in the chaos-ridden land. Since there were many innocent civilians who were not trained in the shinobi arts living in the Sound territory, it became important that reinforcements were there to protect them if the fights between the radical shinobi clans and reckless landlords went out of hand.

As the battles continued, Konoha faced difficulties in controlling the situation there. This eventually led to many of Konoha's shinobi to be sent to the Sound for long periods at a time. One of the teams that had been sent there were obviously, Team Gai. Even so, they had still been shorthanded over at the battle zone and shinobis from other villages – such as the Sand – had been requested to provide help in controlling the situation. Due to Konoha's influence as a symbol of power over the other countries, the aid had come dutifully. Ties across the nations were strengthened as everyone came together to help restore the peace in the Sound, the only country left constantly bombarded with killings and fights.

Putting down his steaming mug of green tea with a dull 'clunk', it was then Neji joined in the conversation.

"The Shougo clan is the best choice amongst the rest to take over the Sound's ruling. The lord of the clan, Kitazawa Shougo is a wise man. Unfortunately his influence and power only stretches as far as across the northern regions and that's barely enough for him to be officially named as the new ruler of the Sound," Neji elaborated further.

"Neji is right. Shougo-san is a great man, and extremely wise too. He is the only hope left for the Sound to ever become the proud country it had once been. However, his control over the country has not yet been gained. He needs to earn the trust and respect from the people and according to the latest orders that we have received from Hokage-sama we are to help him through it while keeping things under control. Apparently the other village leaders have all agreed that the Shougo clan should be established as the new leader of the Sound, and therefore our main mission now is to help him achieve that," Lee said.

"Really? Sounds like hell of a lot of work to me…" Naruto said looking confused. His brain was already frazzled just by listening to the complications of the whole problem.

Lee nodded as a pained grimace showed on his eyebrow-covered face. "It _is_ a lot of work. Riots, street fights, guerilla attacks and even the most petty and ridiculous arguments occur _daily_…"

Naruto shook his head solemnly at those words. "That bad, huh?"

Lee nodded again in agreement.

"It is. But still, it's our job and I'm not complaining. Like Gai-sensei says, we should consider this training!" Lee said, flashing his usual manic grin which appeared whenever he talked about training before he continued. "This time, we're only back for a two week break and then it's back to our job again. Gai-sensei thought it best for us to get some rest before returning to action in full swing, seeing as this is definitely going to be a long mission. However, he decided to remain behind at the Sound village himself to oversee things while we're gone. I'd wanted to accompany him but he insisted I came back…"

Naruto said nothing at this. That explained the reason why Neji, Lee and Tenten had appeared in Konoha without the company of their mentor. Lee had always thought highly of Gai-sensei ever since he was young and spent a lot of his time training with the green jumpsuit-clad jounin. After a few moments in which his mind wandered, Naruto frowned.

"Hmm…" he pondered out loud. "I kinda feel… bad. All of you are working hard, but me…"

The blond sighed as memories of a certain pink-haired girl appeared in his mind. Everyone was working so hard while he was back here in Konoha, worrying over petty love relationship problems.

"Oh, no. It's not your fault, Naruto-kun. You didn't ask to get stuck here," Lee said quickly, not wanting Naruto to feel bad at all.

Naruto smiled. Lee was always so nice to everyone and Naruto appreciated that. He went back to his ramen, a thoughtful look gracing his features. They spent minutes eating in silence, enjoying the peaceful mood that hovered over them. This was one of those moments in which a shinobi could feel truly relaxed with people they trusted and without feeling worried about anything at all. These moments were rare and they always tried to make the best of it when it _does_ come.

Lee started to fiddle with his noodles. His thoughts were suddenly disturbed and he was not really aware of his surroundings. When he opened his mouth to speak next, he spoke in a very soft and slow tone.

"Hey, Naruto-kun… How… has Sakura-san been lately?"

Automatically Naruto replied the question with nonchalance, not noticing the sudden change of mood that came over Lee.

"Oh, she's fine," Naruto said simply. "As energetic as always with the guidance of Tsunade-baasan."

"Really? That's good to hear. It's been so long since I last saw her…"

Naruto continued eating, until the words finally dawned on him. He froze. Oh, yeah. It suddenly hit him like a slap in the face. He had totally forgotten about Lee's 'more than friendly' feelings towards Sakura. Lee's infatuation with the pink-haired kunoichi had never wavered ever since it had begun when they were mere genins and Naruto didn't think that it had changed now either. Unfortunately, this would pose a problem. He was pretty sure that Lee had yet to find out about his and Sakura's relationship, and he didn't like to think what Lee would do once he _did_ get wind of it.

"I'm planning to go visit Sakura-san tomorrow. I was about to head over to her house just now, but I didn't want to bother her at this late hour…" Lee said hesitantly.

"You seem pretty excited about seeing her again," Naruto said cautiously, picking his words carefully as to not reveal anything he didn't want to yet.

Lee's face flushed a rosy red color. He laughed a little embarrassedly.

"Ahaha. I guess I am. I've… sort of missed her I guess…"

Naruto forced a smile back as Lee grinned sheepishly at him. No doubt about it now. Lee's love for Sakura was obviously still very much intact.

Sometimes, Naruto couldn't help admiring the loyalty that his thick-eyebrowed friend had. He had stayed true to Sakura all this while. Naruto had been much the same too, but the doubts that he was having now… The loyalty he thought he always had was becoming more than a little bit unstable…

In any case, he didn't know how to break the news about his current relationship with Sakura to the older boy and to be totally honest, he seriously didn't want to deal with it right now.

"Relationships are but a distraction to a shinobi," the Hyuuga suddenly said.

Everyone there turned to look at him.

"Heh. You're one to talk. I've been hearing rumors about you…" Naruto said, a cheeky grin automatically lighting up on his face as he eagerly jumped at any chance to change the focus of the conversation to something else.

"That's not a rumor, Naruto-kun. It's true!" Lee said winking at his blond friend.

"Aha! So those rumors about you and Tenten are true then!"

Naruto laughed loudly as Neji gave both him and Lee a half-annoyed and half-amused look. The blond thought he saw just the slightest hint of embarrassment on the Hyuuga's face but he wasn't sure.

The Byakugan heir turned away and continued to sip at his green tea as he decided to ignore his friends, whom were so unashamedly laughing at him at the moment.

After a while, the laughter from Lee and Naruto ceased in which a rich silence then engulfed them. A thoughtful look filled Lee's face as his mind wandered again and he spoke once more.

"Maa, Naruto-kun…" Lee started.

"Hmm…?" Naruto didn't bother to look up from the bowl of ramen which he had resumed eating again.

"I'm going to do something drastic tomorrow…"

"Mmm… drastic…?" Naruto asked distractedly as he finished the last of his ramen.

Lee nodded slowly. Swallowing nervously, he turned himself to face the blond, cautiously laying his gaze on the side of his friend's whisker-marked face.

"I'm going to confess to Sakura-san tomorrow!" the green Konoha nin said loud and clear.

At first Naruto just stared blankly at Lee as the blond's brown face turned to face his friend, the thick eyebrows suddenly very close in his line of sight and his hands clutching the now empty bowl of ramen. Then quite suddenly, the realization of what Lee had just said started to dawn on him.

"You're… what?" Naruto repeated faintly.

Lee turned away, blushing furiously. "Aa. I'm going to confess."

Naruto blinked once, twice then he snapped himself out of his shocked state. "But… but… why?" was the only intelligible reply he could come up with.

Lee was adamantly staring everywhere else embarrassedly, trying to avoid himself from meeting Naruto's eyes. "Well… I decided that… after so long… that… that… I should be honest with her…"

Naruto was silent as he sat stock still, unable to release his tight grip on his empty ramen bowl. Suddenly, a burst of courage seemed to filter into him from some unknown force and Lee braved himself to look straight into Naruto's bright, blue eyes.

"You know don't you, Naruto-kun?" Lee started to say. "I've been in love with Sakura-san for as long as I can remember now… I think it's about time I came clean about it. She's never been very receptive of me when we first met, but I think things have been better since then... I believe I stand a fair chance now!"

Naruto just stared back at him, dumbstruck. He didn't know what to say. He wondered how his bushy-eyebrowed friend could be so optimistic sometimes. Before he knew it, Lee was speaking again.

"… and that's why I've decided to make a move. As Gai-sensei said, we have to appreciate our youth. Waiting without doing anything, I'll only be letting this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip through my fingers. I've wasted enough time already and I don't want to be in the dark anymore! I _have_ to let her know how I feel!"

A pause here. Lee seemed to be persuading himself at this point. Naruto felt hope rise in him. He prayed fervently that Lee would chicken out and forget about his plan to confess. He was disappointed though as a few seconds later - much to his dismay - a determined look filled Lee's facial expression.

"I… I want to know how Sakura-san feels about me… I like her…no wait, I _definitely_ more than like her! Ever since we were young… and I won't let her go so easily. I'll prove to her, just how much I care about her…" Lee trailed off.

Naruto listened at the words spoken so tenderly by his friend. He couldn't say anything, so he didn't. Fleetingly, the blond realized that he probably would have said the same thing once upon a time but now, he wondered if that was what he felt anymore…

After awhile, Lee blushed again as he became aware of the silence that had fallen onto the group. A small smile grazed his lips.

"Maa… This is so embarrassing…" he said ashamedly. "But I guess… I do want to try this…"

Naruto stayed silent for a moment. Then to his own surprise, he found himself answering Lee with a grin on his face. It was as if his own body was moving automatically to speak for him and to take action _without_ his mind's consent.

"That's great. I wish you luck," was what Naruto heard himself say. Inside his head, alarm bells were going off.

"_Wait a minute. What am I doing? That's not what I'm supposed to say!"_ his brain screamed at him.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I appreciate your support. If I do… succeed in my quest tomorrow, I'll let you be the first to know," Lee said, smiling at the blond gratefully.

Naruto nodded as yet even more warning signals went off in his brain. This was wrong! Where was the blunt honesty that he'd always been famous for? He wanted to say that Sakura was no longer single, no longer available! He wanted to say that Sakura was now officially going out with none other than himself! But none of these words managed to work themselves out from the blond's mouth.

Suddenly, in the midst of the internal argument with himself, he realized that he simply didn't care. A calm feeling had settled comfortably in him and he absolutely _couldn't_ get himself worked up. He just couldn't care less if Lee was attempting to make a move on Sakura. It didn't seem to bother him that Sakura was now _his_ girl. He just didn't care anymore. The whole prospect that Lee was going to try to hook up with _his_ girl just didn't affect him at all, odd as it may sound. It was almost as if he'd _wanted_ someone to take Sakura away from him… as if he had been waiting for something like this to happen all along.

"_Wait, wait. What am I thinking? Of course I don't want Sakura-chan to be taken away from me! Of course not…" _Naruto scolded himself, angry that he had even thought of such a ridiculous thing.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud 'thunk!' on his other side. Turning around, Naruto looked at the practically forgotten boy whom had been silent throughout the whole conversation. Sasuke had banged his own bowl of ramen a little too loudly on the table, obviously a clever ruse to get people's attention without needing to speak up. The dark eyes which hid so much of his thoughts and feelings were closed.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Sasuke said shortly. It was the first thing he said the whole night.

Lee looked at him confusedly while Naruto gaped at him. Neji did not even bother to look and continued sipping his tea.

"Err, what's not a good idea?" Naruto asked the Uchiha innocently, collecting himself. Of course, Sasuke would find his words a little disturbing. Amongst the three other people at the stall tonight, only Sasuke knew of his relationship with Sakura and he was probably more than a little confused of what Naruto had just done. Naruto hoped fervently that Sasuke wouldn't spoil everything by letting the truth slip out.

Sasuke didn't move. In fact, he made no indication that he was going to answer the blond's question at all. Naruto felt a wave of irritation rise in him at the lack of response his teammate was giving him. However, before he could say anything, a voice spoke behind him.

"You mean my plan, don't you Sasuke-kun?" Lee asked wisely.

Sasuke opened his eyes slightly, revealing dark depths. He gazed at Naruto from the corner of his eyes, not even bothering to turn around. He stared at the blond for awhile, as if trying to read his thoughts. It was making the blond uncomfortable.

"What are you staring at, teme?" he growled out in retaliation. Sasuke staring at him like that always freaked him out. There was just something in his gaze…

After another moment, the Uchiha turned his eyes away.

"Are you sure you're fine with this?" the dark haired teen asked.

Lee was looking at the boy, not comprehending the cryptic message. However, for once Naruto understood better. Sasuke's words were exactly what they meant. Was he okay with Lee's plan to give it a go at Sakura? And to his own shock, Naruto found that he couldn't answer that question. Did he care whether Lee made a move on his girlfriend? Of course he should care! It was only natural. But… why did he feel as if that 'care' wasn't the least bit sincere on his part…

"It's… fine…" the blond heard himself say again, once more his body answering before his mind realized it.

Sasuke stared at him again. Naruto prayed once more that Sasuke would just drop the subject already. Fortunately this time, he did. He seemed to have accepted Naruto's answer.

Lee stared back and forth between them, not understanding the exchange between his two friends. Shrugging, he gave up and asked the Uchiha instead.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun? So, why do you think that what I plan to do is not a good idea?"

Sasuke stared piercingly at Lee before replying simply.

"No… not at all. Forget what I said."

Lee frowned. What's with that instant change of mind? This was beginning to sound odd. After all, the Uchiha was never one who said something, only to swallow back his own words mere seconds later. He wondered whether it had anything to do with what he said to Naruto… He thought about it some more before finally deciding that he would never know anyway. In the end, he chose to just forget about it. Naruto was smiling at him now.

"Don't worry about it, thick-eyebrows," Naruto said cheekily. "It'll be fine."

At Naruto's reassurance - ignoring the thick-eyebrows comment - Lee cheered up considerably. He beamed at his friend.

"I knew I was right in telling you, Naruto-kun," he said. "Your support means a lot to me. Definitely. I'll definitely tell her tomorrow!"

Lee had a bright glint in his eyes at his newfound strength and determination. Neji merely smiled slightly as his teammate gained his usual confidence and fervor. Looking at the strong determination Lee had on his expression now, Naruto smiled. Inwardly though, there was chaos. What in the world was he doing?

On Naruto's other side, Sasuke stared once more at the back of the blond's head as he wondered the exact same thing.

**

* * *

**

"Are you sure its fine?" Sasuke asked again.

The blond did not answer. Walking home from Ichiraku's after his second dinner, he found himself stuck with Sasuke, who was heading in the same direction back home. Lee and Neji had headed back home as well, though they lived at the opposite side of the village.

"Didn't I already say its fine?" Naruto finally answered back, a bit annoyed.

Sasuke said nothing. He took in Naruto's annoyed expression warily, not understanding his friend at all. When he spoke again, he spoke with caution.

"You do understand what Lee is trying to do, right?"

"Of course I do," came the slightly indignant but short answer.

Sasuke decided to press on, ignoring Naruto's increasingly irritated expression.

"So, you do understand that it's Sakura we're talking about here…?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then… you do know that… what he plans to do… will threaten the relationship you have with her now, don't you?"

Naruto stopped suddenly in his tracks, whipping around to glare angrily, straight into the Uchiha's face, who had halted his footsteps as well.

"Of course I know. What do you take me for anyway? I may be dumb but I'm not that dumb!" Naruto flared up suddenly.

However, much to his annoyance Sasuke seemed to be unperturbed at his outburst.

"So, you do realize that you should have told Lee about your relationship with Sakura now, smart as you say you are," Sasuke said, a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

Naruto felt another wave of anger wash over him at the sarcastic jibe at his wisdom. He was getting impatient. Sasuke was asking him questions, _personal_ questions which he didn't feel like talking about right now. Irritated, he snapped back at the Uchiha.

"Like hell! I know what I'm doing so just leave it at that already!"

"Right. Sure you do."

Naruto growled. What the hell was Sasuke's problem? Couldn't he see that Naruto didn't feel like discussing this? The blond's patience was wearing thin, especially since the subject that Sasuke was questioning him about was very sensitive at the moment. The blond himself was confused over his own thoughts and actions and he didn't feel like going through it with anyone else yet, even if that anyone was his best friend.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you just drop the damn subject?" Naruto said, scowling at the dark-haired boy.

Sasuke did not reply immediately. Naruto's bright blue eyes were flashing fury at him. But Sasuke, being the stubborn person he was, wasn't going to be put off by something as minor as the contemptuous look the blond was giving him now.

"I just don't want you to screw your life up," Sasuke replied casually.

Naruto was infuriated. Well, even more infuriated than he had already been anyway. Sasuke was poking his nose in places it shouldn't be.

"And _why_ do you think I would screw my life up?" he asked, obviously offended.

Sasuke gave him a pointed look that seemed both amused and sarcastic. "So what exactly were you doing back there with Lee then?"

"What was I doing with Lee?" Naruto feigned incomprehension as he turned away from the Uchiha's dark, piercing gaze.

"You know what I'm talking about," Sasuke said, his gaze still on the back of the blond's turned head.

For a moment, everything was silent. The street was as empty and dark as ever, their only source of light was the moon above them, illuminating their surroundings with a faint glow.

Sasuke continued to stare at the blond's spiky hair, waiting for some sort of response. When he didn't get the response he was waiting for, he decided to press the matter. However, the tone of his voice had changed now as he spoke. There was more concern and warmth in them. It was something that surfaced only when he and Naruto were discussing something important, something that meant a lot to the both of them. This rare moments where Sasuke showed concern were only shared with Naruto during their heartfelt talks which had started between them after the Sound episode, and Sasuke had always been grateful for it. It was something special which only he and Naruto had.

"You do know what you are doing, right?" Sasuke asked softly, his voice had lost the icy stiffness which he normally used when speaking to anybody else.

Still, no answer from Naruto. The dark haired boy eyed him closely, waiting for a reaction, any reaction, as he carried on.

"You were practically throwing Sakura at him," Sasuke said bluntly.

At these words, the taller boy noticed that Naruto's body tensed. Sasuke decided to continue talking.

"You are after all with Sakura now. In any case, I don't think that you should have done what you did. You practically pushed Lee into trying his luck with Sakura. It's definitlely not a good idea. You shouldn't have led him on. In the end, you'll just hurt his feelings..."

He trailed off as Naruto finally turned around, a glare on his face.

"What do you mean?" Naruto said in an offended tone once more. "You think I _purposely_ pushed him into it? You think I was just pulling some stupid _prank_ on him? You think…!"

Sasuke was quick to cut in.

"It's nothing like that! I know you have your own reasons. You've always been too… nice. If you're thinking of protecting Lee's feelings by doing what you did, then I think you made a mistake. You should have been honest with him."

It was true, really. At times, Naruto could be too nice for his own good. Putting others before him, it sometimes caused the blond to hurt himself instead. And Sasuke didn't like that. He always took it upon himself when he felt Naruto was giving too much of his kindness. This case was no different. He had an idea that Naruto had done what he did because he didn't have the heart to tell Lee the truth. But Sasuke didn't accept that. As little chance as there may be that Sakura would accept Lee, Sasuke didn't like taking unnecessary risks. Especially when he had done so much, and given up even more, just to get Sakura and Naruto together as they were now…

Naruto was still staring at Sasuke, his eyes narrowed. Finally, he decided that he was being unreasonably mad at his friend. It was a difficult task for Sasuke to drop his icy front. He should at least appreciate the fact that his friend cared enough about him to be concerned. He sighed.

"You're… you're right. I should have told him the truth…" Naruto finally said.

Sasuke was silent as he watched the shorter boy sag his shoulders, his round, whiskered face bowed down to the ground.

"I… I don't know what came over me…" Naruto went on. "I just couldn't say it… I just couldn't tell him who I was to Sakura… I… just _couldn't_…"

Sasuke watched him. Then, slowly the Uchiha raised his hand and laid it carefully on Naruto's shoulder. His heart leapt as his fingers made contact with the soft black-orange fabric of Naruto's clothing. He could feel Naruto's body heat radiating off of the boy and he couldn't help himself from taking advantage of the situation. He let his hand linger on the blond's shoulder longer than he had intended it to.

"_He's so warm…" _

Slowly, Sasuke forced himself to move his hand to give Naruto a pat on the back. It seemed that Naruto had not realized anything different as he did not look up. Had he looked though, he would have seen an embarrassed and guilty flush on the Uchiha's face.

"Well," Sasuke began, a bit flustered but thankfully Naruto, who was caught up in his own thoughts, did not notice the oddness in his voice. "I suppose it's natural. It is difficult to tell him the truth… and knowing that he'll be hurt. He is a good comrade and… friend after all."

Naruto kept quiet, barely registering what his best friend had just said. Yeah. It's difficult to tell the truth alright… But it's different. It wasn't just friendship that was in the way… There's something else too…

Dropping his hand from Naruto's shoulder, Sasuke spoke again. It still amazed him how much he could talk when he was with Naruto, considering that he was cold and quiet the rest of the time. There was just something about the blond boy that made Sasuke feel as if he could just say whatever he wanted. He didn't have to hold anything back…

"Anyway, there's nothing you can do about it now. It's late. You should go home and pull yourself together first. And then, tomorrow you could meet up with them before anything happens. It's the best you can do."

Naruto remained silent. He still had his head bowed down. Sasuke took his silence as a thoughtful kind of silence. Thinking it best to leave the blond alone with his own musings, Sasuke silently took his leave, heading ahead back home.

When Sasuke left, Naruto had looked up to see the figure disappearing at the distance. His mind was thoroughly confused now. He really didn't know what he was doing. He was practically pushing Lee towards his own girl. Apparently, from the conversation that he just had with Sasuke moments ago (surprisingly it was Sasuke who was doing most of the talking), it was clear to him that Sasuke thought that his failure to tell Lee about his true relationship with Sakura was because he had not wanted to hurt Lee's feelings.

However, Naruto didn't think that was the case. He wasn't the type of person who would risk his relationship with his loved ones just because that person was his friend. Especially since he had lived in loneliness his whole life and he didn't want to go back to that cold and bitter existence. Besides, it wasn't a fair fight if he backed out so easily, and Naruto had always been the kind of person who believed in fairness and justice, even if it came to things such as love and relationships. No, something was definitely not right.

Suddenly, Naruto seemed to notice something albeit very vaguely. It wasn't just friendship that had stopped him from telling the truth earlier. It felt as if… right from the start he hadn't wanted to tell the truth at all. Even now, he didn't feel the least bit of guilt or regret for not holding Lee back. Why was that? This was his loved one he was talking about here! Why wasn't he feeling the least bit of worry that someone was going to threaten their relationship? Was it because he was so confident that Sakura would never accept another person? No… it wasn't that… And if it wasn't that, then he could only come to one conclusion…

Perhaps… perhaps his feelings for Sakura… just wasn't as strong as he thought it was?

And with that thought, the night wind started to pick up, ruffling the blond's hair and clothes. He didn't seem to notice though. He was lost in his own thoughts.

**

* * *

**

It was early in the morning. The sun had just broken over the horizon from behind the mountains and sunlight was streaming into the village of Konoha. As the first of the sunrays hit the Haruno household, a warm glow lighted the rooms in the house, and this of course, included Haruno Sakura's bedroom.

By the time the sunlight hit the floor of the girl's bedroom, the room had already been vacated. The sounds of gushing water and the hum of a song could be heard from the bathroom down the hallway. It seemed like the pink-haired lady of the house was already up and awake so early in the morning.

Moments later, the sounds of the water splashing down from the showerhead faded even though the humming didn't. And then, a figure clad in only a towel stepped out of the bathroom. Her pink hair was dripping with water as she wrapped another towel around her soft tresses. Slowly, she headed back into her bedroom. Had any guy in the village seen the sight of the pretty, female chuunin walk daintily back into her bedroom, with her body refreshed from the morning shower and strands of pink hair sticking to the side of her face ultimately creating an alluring effect, they would have died from a massive nosebleed for sure.

Finally reaching her bedroom, Sakura began her usual routine of dressing herself up and making sure that she was as gorgeous as she could be before she started the day. It wasn't often that she was allowed to fuss about her appearances like she was doing today as her occupation as a shinobi almost always called her to duty much earlier in the morning. But lately, due to the lack of missions that her team was receiving, she had had the extra time to doll herself up as every young lady would do when they had the chance.

Half an hour later, Sakura was standing in front of the mirror attached to her dressing table examining herself. Her hair had been blown dry and pulled back in its usual fashion with the Konoha headband which sat at the top of her head. She was clad in her usual red, white and black attire. Soon enough, when she was satisfied with the way she looked, she collected her small pack which hung at the side of her lower waist. Scrolls, kunais and other ninja necessities were fit into that tiny bag which could amazingly hold a generous amount of things. Finally, after packing an unbelievable amount of things in the pack, she reached out to the top-left corner of her dressing table for the final item that she needed for the plan she had concocted just last night. Two small pieces of yellowish printed cardboard-like paper lay there. Tentatively, she picked it up and stared at it. It was two tickets for a movie at the village theatre tonight.

Sakura clutched the tickets in her hand, her right fist so tightly gripped that the tickets were getting more than a little crumpled. Late last night, just before she had gone to bed, she had received a visit from one of her best friends, Yamanaka Ino. Sakura had been pleasantly surprised and was only too happy to indulge in her best friend's company. It had been a long time since they had their little 'bonding' chats and because of that, they had spent much of the night just chattering away, discussing what girls discuss when they got together. It had been halfway through a quickly prepared supper when the topic had been brought up. The topic that Sakura had tried hard to forget during the time of her best friend's visit.

**Flashback**

"So, Sakura. How have things been between you and Naruto?" Ino asked, taking a bite from her egg sandwich.

"Hm? Oh... just fine," Sakura answered, a note of hesitation in her voice as she fiddled with her own chicken sandwich distractedly. She didn't want to remind herself of her problems just yet.

Ino raised an eyebrow. She didn't believe Sakura's words at the very least. She _had_ known Sakura for a very long time now and they had been through so much together. From the time when they were best friends during their childhood, to the rivalry that was born from Sasuke's appearance in their life and to this very moment now where they were best friends again. They had grown and matured during the years, and the friendship they shared had strengthened, even if they _did_ still have their petty arguments sometimes. But all that they have been through had merely aided them in understanding each other better. And right now, Ino understood Sakura enough to know that the pink haired girl was lying through her teeth. The blonde narrowed her eyes in a curious expression.

"Oh? Is that so?" Ino said, a note of suspicion evident in her tone of voice.

Sakura's body tensed, the fingers holding her sandwich tightening on it before she nodded.

"Yeah it is. Naruto and I… We're just fine."

Ino analyzed the look on Sakura's face. She was very desperately trying to hide it, but Ino knew Sakura better than that. Sakura was troubled underneath the false calm exterior that she had put on as she tried to hide behind her chicken sandwich.

"Alright, something's up. Spill it," Ino sat up straight with a determined look set on her features, setting her half-eaten egg sandwich on the plate that sat on the living room table. Her blonde hair, which had grown long again since the past few years, flowed around her womanly face as her blue eyes stared hard at the face of her best friend.

Sakura swallowed uncomfortably as silence fell between them. Then, she sighed. She might as well give up. Ino knew her better than anyone else did, and there was almost no way that Sakura could ever keep anything away from the blonde girl who possessed such amazing mind-reading powers. Perhaps it had something to do with the Yamanaka clan's special jutsu where they took over the body of an enemy. Since they could invade someone's body, perhaps they could see through people's minds as well…

"You're not going to leave me alone until I tell, aren't you?"

Ino grinned like a cat that ate the fish. Her blue eyes sparkling, she smiled serenely.

"You betcha! I ain't called a Yamanaka if I can't even tell that my best friend is in distress!"

Okay. So, maybe the mind-reading DID have something to do with the Yamanaka clan jutsu… Sakura smiled slightly. Looking down, she braced herself and took a deep breath. She was preparing herself for what she was about to say.

Fifteen minutes later found Ino staring at her friend, an expression of surprise and confusion on her face. Sakura was casting a grim look at the floor below her. She had just about told Ino everything that she had thought, felt and experienced for the past week or so. All her confusion, her uneasiness… she had let it all out. She waited patiently for Ino to give her some kind of reaction to everything she had just said. Her blonde friend had yet to say anything at all about it, having been rendered speechless.

"Well…" Ino began finally but paused again. Her mind was swirling with the newly acquired information and she needed time to think it through. After giving the matter some thought, Ino finally reached a conclusion.

"Well…" Ino started again. "I think that maybe you're thinking too much…"

Sakura gave her a shrug.

"I thought you might say that…" the pink-haired girl stated. She sighed. "Maybe I am … but still…"

Ino smiled reassuringly as she got up to sit closer beside her friend. She laid a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Just relax. You're letting your imagination run wild. This… uneasiness you feel… for all you know, maybe its just insecurities," Ino said nonchalantly.

Sakura turned to look at her friend questioningly, a pink-eyebrow raised. "Insecurities?"

Ino nodded. "That's right. It's normal to feel insecure especially when you've just started going out with someone. It was the same for me and Shika-chan."

Sakura was looking at her, a funny expression on her face, partly confused at Ino's words and partly amused at the pet name her best friend had given Shikamaru. Deciding to ignore other people's love affairs, she pressed on with the meaning of Ino's words instead.

"You mean… you…?"

Ino cut her off, nodding as she tightened the hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Just don't worry about it. I doubt it's anything much. You're just insecure. You know Naruto, it's just like him to be… _weird, _and totally…_ clueless_ sometimes," she screwed her face into an irksome expression as she said this with difficulty.

The edge of Sakura's lips twitched into a small smile, but she kept her silence. There was no doubt that Naruto was simple-minded and _did_ do weird things sometimes, and definitely no denying the clueless bit. And because of that, it could get hard to read him at times. But Naruto never did anything without real reason. And that was why Sakura was feeling so disturbed. Naruto _never did_ do anything without a proper reason. The same goes for the way he was treating her now. He had always treated her well since before and he still did, but she still could not understand the reason why he seemed more distant from her than ever now. Especially when they've only just gotten together. Weren't new couples supposed to be more in love with each other than ever before when they've just started? She didn't think that was the case for her and Naruto. In fact, their relationship felt more like the contrary to her.

Ino watched her friend closely. She could tell that Sakura was still troubled. Her words weren't really helping. She let out a sigh, deciding to use her last card. The blonde girl reached her hand into the shinobi pouch she always wore on her right leg. She felt around for the 'thing' that she was looking for. Finding it, she pulled it out.

Sakura broke out of her depressing thoughts when she felt something being thrust into her face. She blinked a few times as she tried to see what it was that had been practically shoved into her nose. There, right in front of her eyes, were two tickets.

"What…?" she began.

"Take it," Ino abruptly cut her off.

Sakura looked at it blankly, not moving. "These are…?" she started again.

"Two tickets for a movie. Tomorrow night at the theater."

Sakura sat as still as a puppet, not making any move of taking the tickets still held out inches from her nose. Growing impatient, Ino pushed the two tickets downwards into Sakura's hands.

"Just take it already," Ino said, a little irritated. Those two tickets were meant for her and her Shika-chan. Ino had spent quite awhile waiting in line to buy those tickets. Shikamaru had been so busy teaching at the academy that they had not seen each other much lately. The movie had been a chance for them both to go out since Shikamaru was having one of those rare days off, and Ino had been excited about the outing. But seeing Sakura this way, she felt that Sakura needed it more than she did. She and Shika-chan could just do something else. She was sure her lazy boyfriend wouldn't mind.

"Look," Ino started, intending to explain her plan to Sakura. "You said that you feel like Naruto's becoming more distant, right? So, you should try to spend more time with him. You know, get closer to him. The movie is the perfect chance. It will make a great date!"

Ino's eyes sparkled at her stroke of brilliance. Yes. It was the perfect plan. Sakura felt that Naruto was acting weird. They were probably both just insecure and unable to open up to each other yet. This date will be the perfect plan to draw them closer to each other. Once they got to know each other better, those uneasy and disturbing feelings will just go away. After all, insecurities were a common problem in all budding relationship. When she and Shikamaru had first started out, they had both been pretty much embarrassed and ended up not talking much. But once that stage had passed, they were more open towards each other and things had turned out well. They had gotten over the shyness and meek attitudes, and that made all the difference in their relationship now.

"Ino… I… I can't take this!" Sakura said interrupting Ino out of her thoughts as she thrust the tickets back to Ino's hands.

Ino snapped back into reality.

"Why not?" she asked incredulously. "I'm giving it to you."

"No. This must be for you and Shikamaru, isn't it? I can't take these!"

Ino smiled. Sometimes, it was difficult that your best friend is the smartest kunoichi around. The blonde held a hand out on top of Sakura's hand which was holding the tickets. Slowly, she put her hand on the tickets that her best friend had held out to her in her palm, and pushed the tickets back into Sakura's hands, closing Sakura's fingers on it.

Sakura looked up into the blue eyes of her best friend, about to protest but Ino cut her off with a finger to her lips. The blonde smiled as she shook her head.

"No. I decided to give this to you. Your need for it is greater than mine. Just take it."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest again but the finger on her lips silenced her once more.

"Don't be so stubborn, Sakura. Just let me help you already. Besides, it's not like I'm giving this to you unconditionally… I'm expecting you to repay my favour someday…" Ino winked cheekily at her best friend.

This time, Sakura didn't try to protest. Ino's mind seemed to be made up. She wouldn't take no for an answer.

"… Well… t-thanks…" Sakura stammered softly. She didn't know what else to say. She was touched by her friend's willingness to sacrifice for her.

"Don't worry about it," Ino shrugged grinning. "Now, you should make good use of this chance. Get close to him. It's the best way for the both of you to open up. After that, things will be fine."

"I'm not so sure this will work," Sakura said doubtfully, staring at the tickets she now grasped in her hand. Ino's own hand was still on hers in a comforting gesture.

"Hmm," Ino thought about it for awhile. "You're right. Maybe it won't work but still, it's worth a try, isn't it? If it worked for me and Shika-chan, I don't see why it wouldn't work for you and Naruto."

Sakura thought about that carefully. Ino was right. Perhaps they were both just insecure. She and Naruto hardly did talk much about their feelings or even their relationship. It had always been general talk between them. Talks that normal friends had with each other. Even when they were out doing groceries, or when out for ramen, it was always the normal talk. They needed to talk more about their relationship, about their feelings. They needed to open up to each other.

Sakura's face brightened. Finally, she saw a tiny light of hope in the distant future for her and Naruto's relationship. And it was all thanks to Ino! Turning right around, she put her arms around the blue-eyed girl's waist and hugged her.

"Thanks, Ino! You've been a real help!"

Ino laughed as she hugged the pink-haired Haruno back.

"You're welcome, wide-forehead."

"Hey! I resent that, Ino-pig," Sakura shot back playfully.

The two girls laughed awhile more before pulling apart minutes later. Ino gave Sakura a sly look.

"Well, the movie starts at 8 at night tomorrow so make sure you're not late. It's a romance movie so have fun at the theatre. Make full use of the darkness in there," the blonde winked.

Sakura flushed at those words, her face akin that of a very ripe tomato.

"No…!" she spluttered. "It's not like that… I mean, we've never…!"

Sakura trailed off. But Ino was looking astonished. The blue-eyed blonde grasped Sakura's wrists tightly with her hands.

"What? Are you telling me… that after two weeks together… you've never…?" Ino asked, seemingly unable to believe her ears.

"Never…?" Sakura was hyper-ventilating now, her face showing confusion, unable to understand a word that Ino was saying at the implication that she and Naruto… but before she could finish that thought, Ino's shocked cry reached her ears.

"What? You mean to say that after two weeks, you guys have never made-out? Kissed? Fool around?"

Sakura looked scandalized. Her face was turning a purplish color at Ino's blunt words.

"O..of course not!" she said, blushing so much that the redness in her cheeks rivaled the red color of her own attire.

Ino looked positively awed, shocked at this little piece of information. She started to speak slowly, still unable to accept what she had just heard.

"I'd never… I can't believe it. Sakura…" Ino started. "When Shika-chan and I only just got together, we were already making out like there was no tomorrow… Not to mention, once we got over our 'shy' stage, we were practically humping each other…"

If Sakura could turn any redder she would have but apparently she had reached her limit. She was starting to feel faint with the overload of information.

"Stop… I don't want to hear anymore," she groaned, putting a hand over her face as she closed her eyes, trying not to imagine her best friend 'humping'.

Ino chuckled. Sakura was still so innocent. Putting her arm around Sakura, she grinned.

"Well. You're a bit late, but tomorrow you can give it a try. Although it _is_ weird that you guys have never even shared a little kiss before. When I was with Shika-chan, he could barely keep his hands to himself, especially when we first started out. You know, when making out was new and all… It was addictive," Ino said with an air of a very experienced person. She continued.

"Well. Maybe Naruto's been holding back. Or maybe, Naruto's just too simple-minded to be as perverted as most guys are… Yeah, that sounds more like him…"Ino continued ranting.

"Although I must tell you, Sakura, perverseness in men isn't exactly _always_ a bad thing…" Ino's eyes acquired a strange glint. Sakura didn't think she wanted to know just what her best friend was thinking about, though she was pretty sure it had to do with her Shika-chan…

"Ugh, Ino… I said enough already… Too much information…" Sakura groaned again. She swore that her innocent ears and mind had just been spoiled for life.

Snapping out from whatever thoughts she was having, Ino had the good grace to blush. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that…"

Sakura just shook her head exasperatedly at her best friend. Well, at least Ino was obviously happy with her relationship… She smiled ruefully. When she heard Ino speak once more, she looked up.

"But I'm not kidding though. Tomorrow's a good chance. Just try it out! Make a move, girl! I swear you won't regret it."

Sakura looked at the cheeky grin on her friend's face, and gave the matter some thought. It did seem odd that she and Naruto had never… At that thought, her cheeks burned again in a blush. Anyway, it was only natural that she and Naruto were to… make-out. They were together after all…

"I… uh… I guess I could give it a try…" Sakura said shyly. Even then, she felt a wave of anticipation overcome her at the prospect of what she had decided to do the next day.

Ino's grin grew even wider and she hugged Sakura once more.

"Great! I'm telling you, tomorrow you're gonna have the best date in your whole life!"

As Sakura found herself in her best friend's embrace once more, she smiled as she hugged back. A small wave of uneasiness washed over her once more but this time, she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"_It's insecurities… That's all it is… After tomorrow… everything will be fine… everything… will be fine…"_

As she managed to convince herself of these thoughts, she felt a sense of calming peace settling in her heart. The two girls continued to hug as decisions that could have severe consequences were made that night, the two sandwiches lay forgotten on the table.

**-End Flashback- **

Grasping the tickets tightly, Sakura steeled her resolve, breaking away from the memory of last night's talk with Ino. She was determined to stay true to what she had decided then. It was a promise, both to herself and to Ino. The blue-eyed Yamanaka had made a sacrifice to help her, and Sakura didn't want to put her efforts to waste.

Slipping the two tickets into her shinobi pouch, she took one more look at her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with the way she looked, she smiled at her own reflection one last time.

"Yes, I can do it!" she told the mirror, grinning widely. Feeling more confident, she stepped out of her room.

Walking down the stairs, her mind quickly went through what she had to do for the day. Initially she was supposed to meet Tsunade-sama for her usual apprentice training, but just the day before when she had been on her way home, she had been told by Iruka-sensei that Tsunade-same would be busy today. It seemed that she was having a meeting of some sort. That left Sakura free for the whole morning until afternoon, when she would be meeting Kakashi-sensei for a little bit of training. They usually had practices in the morning, but ever since Sakura had become Tsunade's disciple, their training sessions have mostly been pushed back to the afternoon to accommodate her. It made her feel guilty sometimes, having to make things difficult for her whole team and had often suggested that they go ahead without her, but none of them would hear a word of it. They refused to train without her there.

"_No way are we training without you, Sakura-chan!"_ Naruto had said.

"_Training with one team member short totally undermines the teamwork principle,"_ Sasuke had stated.

"_How could we ever go ahead without our one and only cute little lady of the team?"_ Kakashi-sensei had smiled cheekily at her as he said that.

They had all been tolerant, and were willing to wait for her. She was truly thankful. Her team members could be the most understanding people sometimes. _Sometimes…_

Seeing that she had the whole morning to herself, Sakura decided to look for Naruto. Her hand hovered on top of her little bag hung at her side, thinking about the tickets which were stored inside it. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she hastily made her way to the front door. It was best that she ask Naruto out now before she lost her nerve. Some people believed that the male should be the one making the first moves in a relationship, but Sakura didn't believe in that. She believed in pursuing her own happiness, and that was exactly what she would do today.

"Today is the day. Everything will be answered after today. Everything will work out. It has to…" she whispered to herself.

Her quest today will be to get Naruto to open up. According to Ino, the problem with her relationship now is lack of understanding. If she and Naruto could open up to each other, those uneasy and disturbing feelings would disappear along with the insecurities she believed she had. Then everything would be fine again. The date was just the thing she needed now. And while that she was at that, perhaps she could steal a kiss or two from the blond.

Sakura blushed. She couldn't believe how eager she was to have her first kiss. Yes, it was her first kiss. She was anticipating it very much. Before, she had always imagined that she would have her first kiss with Sasuke but now, it would be Naruto whom she will be sharing it with… and she was as eager as ever.

Blushing even more at the thoughts crossing her mind, Sakura shook it off. Realizing that she had been standing in front of the door to her house for the past few minutes, dreaming of her first kiss, she felt embarrassed and scolded herself for losing focus.

Getting a grip on herself, she reached out for the doorknob, intending to leave the house when suddenly, her doorbell rang. She froze immediately, surprised at the sudden noise. She frowned, wondering who could be looking for her so early in the morning. She opened the door.

Bushy-eyebrows. Those were the first things she saw when she opened the door. Then, she saw a lot of green. Her own green eyes widened as they rested on round black ones.

"Lee…san?" she stuttered out in shocked disbelief.

"Sakura-san! It's been awhile," Lee said, holding out a bunch of red roses to Sakura.

**

* * *

**

Ten minutes later, Sakura found herself with Lee at a clearing in the forest. It was a peaceful piece of land with dry, yellowing grass spread all over the place and surrounding forest trees that formed the circle of clearing which they were now occupying. There was nothing but vast amounts of empty space in the middle except for a single wooden training post which had been erected there. Lee had been the one whom had led them to this place. It seemed that this place held a special significance to the fuzzy-eyebrowed ninja.

"So, you've just arrived at Konoha?" Sakura asked from her spot underneath a tree.

Lee, who was standing a few feet away from her, shook his head.

"No. I've been back since last night."

"Ah, I see. It's good to see you again."

"Arigato, Sakura-san."

Silence fell. Sakura had been pleasantly surprised to see the green ninja. He had gone on a mission at the Hidden Sound for awhile now, and had been absent from Konoha. It was a fairly shocking surprise when he turned up at her doorstep early this morning. And even more suspicious were his motives for asking her out so suddenly at this early hour…

Seating herself comfortably on a trunk at the bottom of a tree, Sakura stared at the bouquet of flowers which Lee had given to her. Clutching it tightly, she felt nervous. She had a feeling that these… _roses_… weren't merely a simple gift…

Lee stood still, a few feet away from Sakura, his back now turned to her. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, hesitant about what he had set out to do that day. He wasn't prepared. After a whole night of convincing himself that this was his once in a lifetime chance, he still wasn't prepared. He just couldn't bring himself to confess his feelings to the girl he had always cared about so much…

Suddenly, an image of Naruto's face came floating into the mind of the green ninja. He strengthened himself. Yes. He had made a vow. He had said that he would confess today, and he would. That was his word to Naruto. After all, the blond had been so supportive and Lee didn't want to let him down. Gulping hard, Lee forced himself to turn around, to face the girl he loved. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Ah… Sakura… san…" he managed to mumble out nervously, the fists at his sides were clenched so tightly that his arms were shaking.

Sakura looked up. Seeing the expression on Lee's face, her suspicions were almost a hundred percent confirmed. She had been suspicious of the reason that Lee had come to see her like this so early in the morning. It had been obvious that the taijutsu expert was up to something. Call it a woman's intuition or just pure guessing, but Sakura had known that Lee was going to do something today. Something _big_. After all, red roses _were _specialand Sakura wasn't so blind as to not have noticed the different way that Lee had always treated her with.

"Um… Sakura-san… Actually, the reason that I've come to see you so early today… is because I have… something to tell… you," Lee said slowly, stumbling over his own words. He seemed incredibly flustered, unlike his usual self. His usual self was a competitive, excited and confident person. Always striving for the best. Seeing that his usual enthusiasm was currently missing in action, this obviously proved that this _was_ a big deal for him.

Although Sakura knew what Lee was going to say, out of respect of his feelings, and also his pride, she pretended not to know. She knew exactly how hard it was to muster the courage to confess to someone, and she didn't want to embarrass the ninja in front of her with her obvious rejection. At the very least, she should allow him to say all he had wanted to say to her. It was a sign of respect for her friend's feelings.

"What is it?" she asked kindly, trying to go easy on the poor boy whom was now sweating it out in front of her.

Lee gulped dryly. His throat seemed to be glued together. This was it. The moment of truth. Plucking up his courage, he lifted his face to look straight into Sakura's eyes. His heart beating fast, the words he had wanted to say couldn't come out. After a long moment of hesitance, he totally abandoned his practiced confession to her and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Ano… Sakura-san…"he started, not thinking straight anymore. His eyes were glazed as they stared into hers. He continued, a strange mood suddenly engulfing him. "Did… did you know… that… for each type of flower… there's a specific meaning behind them?"

Sakura was surprised at his words. She had thought that he was going to blurt out a simple 'I love you' as a confession. Turns out, he had not. She was pushed slightly off-course at his strange choice of words.

Looking down, she stared at the bouquet she held in her hands. The deep red of the roses looked bright and fresh, and it exuded a sweet smell. They had probably been freshly cut this morning. They were truly pretty flowers and Sakura did like them a lot, despite the current situation. She was brought back from her thoughts when she heard Lee speaking again.

"Those red roses… I picked them for a specific reason," Lee said. He sounded more confident now. He clenched his jaw before taking a few steps forward towards Sakura.

"Roses as beautiful as these are meant for attractive ladies such as yourself, Sakura-san," Lee said softly, stopping right in front of the pink-haired girl.

Sakura looked up, even more surprised now than earlier at the gentle tone in Lee's voice. The next thing she knew, he was kneeling in front of her. She was taken aback, but before she could do or say anything, he was speaking again.

"The roses I bought… are meant for the most beautiful girl I know…" he said, a small smile on his lips as he looked straight at her.

This time, Sakura was the one feeling flustered. Shifting slightly on the trunk, she managed to mumble out a small gasp and his name.

"Lee… san…"

Lee was smiling so sweetly in front of her, his expression soft and gentle. He was kneeling on one bended knee, his right hand on the ground while his left hand was held out in front of her. She barely realized it when he spoke again. She was mesmerized by his gaze…

"And the reason I bought these… red roses… It's because it means, I love you, Sakura-san," Lee said, the love in his eyes undeniable. His voice was laced with the care and love he had for her.

Sakura felt her heart stop. Her whole body stiffened. She wanted to say something, but found that she couldn't. She was frozen on the spot, still staring into the love-filled eyes of the boy kneeling in front of her.

Lee's smile seemed to waver even more with each second that passed in which Sakura kept silent. Finally, he spoke again, reluctance in his voice.

"I understand if this has come as a shock to you… But… I want you to know, that this is what I truly feel…"

Sakura just stared at him, overwhelmed by the emotions she could feel from each word that the green shinobi uttered. Forcing her throat to work, she managed to rasp out a few words.

"Oh, Lee…" she didn't know what to say, a sudden feeling of hopelessness seemed to enter her, and she suddenly felt herself dreading to say the words she knew would break the boy's heart…

Desperately looking for a way out, she broke her gaze away and stared down. She looked at the roses in her hands, lifting them up towards her. She opened her mouth, wanting to break the silence, knowing that Lee was watching her every move. Without really knowing what she was saying, she too said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Oh Lee… these roses… they're truly beautiful…" she said, bringing her fingers up to stroke the petal of one of the blooming roses.

Lee looked at the roses in Sakura's hands, watching as her fingers brushed across the delicate petals. Hesitating slightly, he moved the hand that had been held out to her, and put his hand gently on top of Sakura's, on the one which had been stroking the petal. Sakura froze again. Looking up, she saw that the fuzzy-eyebrowed ninja still had his eyes on her face. He was speaking, a smile gracing his lips once more.

"Yes… the roses are beautiful… but the most beautiful flower of all, is sitting right in front of me…" Lee said, staring pointedly at Sakura.

Sakura found herself rendered speechless once more. She couldn't break her gaze away from Lee's love-filled one. She felt herself becoming desperate. She saw it clearly now. Staring at the eyes of the being named Rock Lee, she realized the change that had occurred over him since the past few years. Gone were the days of young puppy-love… Lee was a young man now. He had matured over the years and he knew exactly what his feelings were. And in this case, his feelings for her… had never changed…

Sakura felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. She couldn't help it, she started to cry, hot tears spilling over and rolling down her cheeks. Unable to hold it in any longer, she sobbed right there under the tree.

Lee was shocked at her sudden outburst. Immediately, he jerked the hand that had been on hers, away. Still kneeling, he held her by the shoulders, his concern evident on his face.

"What's wrong, Sakura-san? Did… Did I do something wrong? I..I'm sorry! Please… please, don't cry…"

Lee was practically begging, his heart sinking fast in his chest. This was not what he wanted! He didn't want to make her cry!

Sakura shook her head as she continued to sob.

"It… It's not that… L..l..lee-san…"

She was unable to continue however as sobs racked her whole body. Lee, dismayed, immediately pulled her into his embrace. She didn't resist. As she cried in his embrace, he rubbed her back tentatively, trying to calm her down.

"Shh… don't cry… It's okay…" Lee continued his comforting words, willing her to stop crying.

Minutes later, Sakura's sobs finally died down. Only a few sniffs could be heard occasionally. Lee still held her against his chest, his hand still rubbing her comfortingly on the back, assuring her that everything was okay.

Slowly, Sakura pulled herself away from him, her gaze pointed downwards. Lee was glad that she had stopped crying, but he was now starting to dread what was coming. Nervously, he released his hold on her. Still kneeling, he took both his hands away from her and waited.

The pink-haired girl made no move for another few moments. Then, she looked up. There was a regretful look on her face. Lee's heart plummeted downwards.

"Lee-san… I'm sorry…I..I can't…"

Lee felt his heart clench at those words. His face fell and he looked downwards. That was it. A simple rejection. The end of his dream. It was over… Lee stared at the ground.

Seeing the dejected boy in front of her, Sakura found it difficult to continue speaking. "You're… you're a great guy, Lee-san… but I just… you and me… we just can't be together…"

Sakura stopped, not knowing what else more there was to say. Lee didn't move. Then slowly, he faced his face upwards. Sakura saw the heart-broken look he now wore on his face, his eyes looked dull and lifeless.

"I… I understand…" his short reply came. That was it. There was nothing more to say. Lee stood up, Sakura's eyes following him. The intimate moment that had occurred between them just moments before seemed like a faraway dream now. Before she could say anything else, Lee looked at her again and spoke.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lee asked slowly.

Sakura, unsure of this request, nodded her head.

Lee paused for a moment, his eyes seemingly glazing over for awhile before becoming dull again. Then he asked.

"Why did you reject me?"

Sakura felt a pang at the bluntness of his words. She waited awhile before answering, not sure whether she should tell him the truth about her and Naruto. Obviously, he had not heard that they were together now, since he had just come back from the Sound. She thought about it for a moment and decided to tell him the truth. Lee deserved nothing less than honesty from her. Slowly, she chose her words carefully.

"Well… the reason is… I'm already… with someone else…" Sakura spoke, a careful tone in her voice.

Lee's eyes widened. He seemed shocked at this piece of information. It was apparent now that he had not been up to date with the latest happenings in Konoha.

"Who?" Lee asked, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. "Is.. is it someone I know?"

Sakura hesitated for awhile before nodding.

"Yes. It's… Naruto…"

She trailed off. Lee's expression was one of utter disbelief. He seemed incredibly put off by the answer that Sakura had just given.

"But… but it can't be… not Naruto-kun…!" he gaped, his eyes wide. He looked at Sakura as if to check that he hadn't heard wrongly.

Sakura nodded slowly to reaffirm her answer.

"It's true, Lee-san."

Lee still seemed unable to believe it. He frowned, staring at the ground.

"Naruto-kun… Na…ruto…"

Silence fell once more. Sakura waited, watching Lee. Somehow, she felt an odd sense of loss in her heart. Her rejection of Lee seemed to have affected her as well. Regret and sadness filled her heart. And she knew exactly why. Lee had always been the type of guy she had been looking for… A man of every woman's dreams, someone who would willingly pledge his loyalty to her forever. Someone like Lee… But it was too bad… If only things were different… If only Lee had come into her life before Sasuke or Naruto… If only… If only…

Lee was shaking his head, muttering under his breath. "I don't understand it… Naruto-kun is with Sakura-san… He's with Sakura-san… Then… then why? Why didn't he say so…?"

Sakura frowned at these words, not understanding. "Lee-san? What are you talking about?"

Lee looked up, a confused expression on his face. "Huh?"

"You were saying something about Naruto. What did you mean by 'why didn't he say so?' " Sakura asked.

Lee shook his head again. "Ah… well, I met Naruto last night…"

Sakura's face was blank. Her mouth moved automatically, the blank look still on her face. "You… met Naruto last night?"

Lee nodded. "Yes. I had dinner with him. We… chatted a little, and I sort of told him that I was going to… talk to you… about this… today…"

Sakura waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she promptly pressed on, feeling impatient. "And?"

"Um," Lee started. "He told me to go ahead. He had been pushing me, encouraging me. He was so supportive, I'd never have guessed… But… why would he do that?"

Sakura didn't respond. A familiar uneasy feeling was creeping into her heart, and it was much worse than before.

"Anyway, I think Naruto-kun was just being the nice person he was," Lee said. Smiling bitterly, he continued. "I was pretty much excited yesterday… Naruto-kun probably didn't have the heart to tell me the truth… Instead, he chose to give me a chance with his own girl…"

Sakura didn't say anything. A new feeling was rising in her heart, a very disturbed and confused feeling, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.

Lee started to speak again, his voice sounding stronger now. He seemed to have collected himself and looked more like his usual self, although his eyes still held a sad look.

"Well… Naruto-kun always amazes me with his kindness. He's always so nice… Please don't blame him, Sakura-san… he was just being nice… for my sake…"

Looking at Lee's face, which now held a saddened expression, Sakura mustered an apologetic smile. She pushed the chaotic feelings she was getting to the very bottom of her mind for the moment as she concentrated on Lee.

"Lee-san… I'm really sorry…"

Lee shook his head.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," Lee said gently, a small smile on his face. But the smile seemed… strained. Sakura felt helpless. She couldn't do anything, so she nodded her head at him.

They were silent for awhile until Lee spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence in between them.

"I… I hope we can still be friends after today?"

Sakura smiled at this.

"Of course we are. Always was and always will be…"

Lee smiled. And then, he started to move away from the spot where Sakura was still sitting on the trunk. He was taking his leave.

As he moved further away, Sakura couldn't help feeling that the emptiness she was feeling in within her now was growing with each step he took further away from her. Her mind was screaming at her for letting such a good opportunity at happiness slip away. She had a sudden urge to call him back. But she didn't. She didn't have the right to. And so… she kept silent. Lee stopped at the middle of the clearing, beside the training post.

Sakura watched as Lee's gaze landed on the training post. Sakura had been right to guess that this place held a special meaning to Lee. It was probably the place where he had spent most of his life at as he trained his taijutsu. This place must have meant a lot to him, and Sakura was once more flattered that Lee considered her important enough to bring her here for his… confession. Again, a wave of regret washed over the kunoichi. Slowly breaking away from her thoughts, she saw Lee turning around beside the training post to face her before bowing deeply.

"I… I should go now… I'm sorry to have bothered you so early, Sakura-san…"

Sakura shook her head, getting up as well to bow back. It was awkward, but what else was she to do?

"It's not a problem, Lee-san…"

Lee smiled. He turned to leave when suddenly Sakura noticed something. It was the bouquet of roses. It had dropped onto the floor earlier during her crying fit.

"Wait, Lee-san!"

Lee turned around, a questioning look upon his face. Sakura picked the bouquet off the ground and moved closer to Lee, holding it out.

"I.. I can't accept these…"

Lee eyed the flowers in Sakura's hands. They seemed to look forlorn now that their original buyer had failed in his quest. Slowly, he shook his head.

"No… you keep it… I want you to have it…"

Seeing the pained expression and the forced smile that Lee wore on his face, Sakura didn't object. She held the roses close to her chest and nodded.

"Thank you…"

Once more, Lee gave her a nod before turning. He took a few steps back in the direction of Konoha village when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. Sakura stared at the back of his head.

"Lee-san…?" she asked tentatively.

"Sakura-san…" Lee started, not bothering to turn around. The tone in Lee's voice was serious, making her stand straighter on her feet. She listened as Lee spoke next in a voice so sincere, she was rendered speechless.

"I want you to know that I'll always wait for you… If… and only if, by any chance that you've… changed your mind… I'll always be here for you… Always…" said the green-clad shinobi, his feelings and emotions as clear as day in his voice.

And with that, Lee leapt onto a tree branch and immediately disappeared out of sight. Sakura stared at the spot just beside the training post where he had been just moments before. She shut her eyes slowly, a feeling of regret entering her. She knew that Lee would stay true to his word. He would always wait for her… Always… For as long as he lived… It was a promise that Lee had made to her a long time ago, and he had never once broken it. Not even now.

She felt truly miserable. She had just broken the heart of a boy who really loved her with everything he had ever since they were young. He was everything that she had wanted in a guy. True, she would have preferred it if he had normal looking eyes and eyebrows, but these weren't the most important things. Love, personality, attitude… It all counted more. And Lee was exactly the type of guy Sakura would have wanted. Keyword : _would have_. It was too bad he hadn't come along earlier. It was too bad that things couldn't work out now. It was too bad that Naruto was not at all like Lee…

At the thought of Naruto, Sakura frowned again. She started to get angry. What was this she heard about Naruto encouraging Lee to come and woo her? Could it be true? It had to be. Lee would never lie to her. But then, how could Naruto do such a thing? She was his girlfriend for heaven's sake! He was supposed to protect her! Not push her into the arms of another guy, even if the guy was his friend. Sakura didn't like it at all. Her doubts were starting to come back. Perhaps it was like Lee had said. Maybe he just didn't have the heart to tell Lee the truth. But then again, that was only what Lee assumed. More importantly, didn't Naruto care if another guy was chasing after her? Wasn't he the least bit jealous? Or worried? Weren't all boyfriends supposed to be protective over their girlfriends? This certainly wasn't the case with Naruto.

Mixed-up emotions were overflowing in Sakura's heart now. Her regret and bitterness of having to reject Lee, her rueful wishes that Naruto could be a little more like Lee, her doubts and uneasiness about her relationship with Naruto, her constant wondering whether Naruto really thought of her as a girlfriend or not… They were all swirling in her mind and she couldn't think straight.

The thing that she wanted to do the most right now was to see Naruto. She wanted an explanation from him. Turning on her spot, she made her way back towards the village of Konoha as well, the bunch of roses in her hand. She had to clear things up as soon as possible. She was getting sick and tired of all this confusion and she wanted to get her answers now.

Quickly, she started to run back towards the village, unable to wait a second longer. The roses in her arms bounced around as she ran. She needed to solve it all soon before it overwhelmed her. As fast as she could, she hurried back to the village, bent on finding Naruto and to find out everything once and for all. The date. She _had_ to ask him out on the date tonight. It had become even more crucial than ever. Tonight was the night. The perfect chance to clear up everything. During the movie date would be the best time. Once and for all, she would get her answers. Everything… she would get the answers to all her unanswered questions during this very date. It all boiled down to tonight. It was the glittering moment of truth. And with that thought in mind, Sakura raced back to the village, the two tickets burning in her shinobi pouch.

To Be Continued

A/N Disappointed? I know some of you may be. Not much has happened Hehe. I tend to drag things too long Oh well, hope you liked it anyway. Sorry if there were any mistakes in this chapter. I did NOT beta-read it before posting. Feel free to let me know of any mistakes and I'll rectify it. Thank you then! Until next chapter! Hope you will stay tuned and reviews will be greatly appreciated.


	9. Chapter 9

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 29 May 2006 3.46 am**

A/N – Finally Chapter 9!

Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or any other character in Naruto for that matter.

Warnings: This is a SasuNaru. Meaning, this is YAOI! Can't take it? Then don't read it!

Chapter 9

In the middle of the village of Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke was currently on a mission. Or to be more precise, he was on an errand.

Early this morning, the Uchiha had gotten up early, dressed-up, and left the house for his usual training. It had been a normal day for him as he quickly ran through the routines of his daily schedule which now consisted of waking up, bath, eat, train and sleep. That was all. It had been awhile since Team 7 had received any orders to go on a mission thus allowing him and his teammates to have a lot of free time. Having too much of free time wasn't that great though. The proud Uchiha, who had been left with nothing to do, was worried that his skills would get rusty by the time he _was _sent on a mission. This eventually led himself to train harder.

Anyway, today was supposed to be a normal day like all others with him getting up to train once more. However, something different had happened on this very morning. Something that didn't often happen.

-Flashback-

Sasuke silently strode towards the training grounds, which now laid just slightly ahead of him. Quickly, he made his way towards his destination, an air of coolness in his stride.

As he neared the edge of the forest, he caught a glimpse of an old man walking towards him from the opposite direction. The man had greyish-white hair, the skin on his face and hands wrinkled. He looked old enough to be a grandfather.

At first, Sasuke paid no heed towards this old man. But then he saw that the old man was wheezing and panting away, a hand grasping his chest. Sasuke frowned, but didn't stop walking. He noticed that the old man was wearing a uniform of some sort and he held a small package in his hand. He seemed to be in the midst of delivering something.

"_A little old to be handling deliveries isn't he?" _Sasuke thought to himself. Not bothering to analyze the old man further, Sasuke turned away and continued on his journey. The old man was getting nearer and nearer to him with each step he took.

Suddenly, just as Sasuke was crossing paths with the same old man, he heard a loud gasp. Startled, he glanced up just in time to see the old man falling towards him. Instinctively, he reached out a hand to support the old man before he fell.

Sasuke looked at the old man, a look of annoyance and a little concern on his face.

The old man was coughing and puffing. He seemed to have difficulties breathing. The package he had been carrying had fallen onto the ground as well.

"Are you okay, ojiisan?" Sasuke asked politely, straightening the aged man so that he stood upright.

Still coughing slightly, the incredibly wrinkled old man nodded.

"Yes, yes, child… I'm fine. Thank you for your help," he said, smiling a wrinkled smile at Sasuke.

An irritated twitch appeared on Sasuke's expression at the 'child' comment. He didn't think he was anything like a child. But he remembered his manners and nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the old man fall into another coughing fit, panting and gasping loudly. He hesitated awhile, looking at the old man. The old man looked ill enough to fall flat on his face if he didn't get help soon.

Pausing for a moment, Sasuke weighed the possibilities that the old man would be okay without him there or not. Looking around, Sasuke saw that there was no one in sight. It was still too early in the morning. Sighing to himself, Sasuke approached the old man again.

"Sir, let me help you." With that, he took hold of the old man's arm to make sure that the old man didn't fall to the ground. He bent down to pick the package that the ojiisan had dropped earlier and pocketed it.

"Ah, thank you, my child," the old man said, apparently grateful for the help provided. He leaned his weight onto Sasuke.

Straightening up, Sasuke started to help the old man towards the nearest medic-nin's house that he knew of, Shizune's.

"Ojiisan, you're not young anymore. Don't go roaming around if you're not healthy enough," Sasuke reprimanded the old man.

Normally, the Uchiha would have just left the old man alone, sick or not. He was not the type to go through unnecessary trouble for others. It was Naruto who would usually do those kinds of things.

Sasuke's lips twitched slightly in a fond smile.

"_I guess he's rubbing off on me… that usuratonkachi."_

The old man coughed again. Sasuke rubbed his hand on the man's back, trying to ease the coughing fits. As the coughing subsided, the old man managed to rasp out a few words to the Uchiha.

"Dear child, I'm so sorry for the trouble. You see, I have to make a delivery, but my boy Ito has just gone off sick."

The old man was reduced to coughing again. Sasuke continued rubbing the old man's back, slowly leading the way towards the female medic-nin's house.

"You could have just sent it another day. Just look at yourself, you're probably sicker than your Ito boy…"

The old man laughed good-naturedly, his blue-coloured uniform stretching as he tried to straighten himself up.

"Very good, my child, very good. But you see, I'm afraid it's not so simple in the business world. I own a bookstore on the other side of the village. My most regular customer has asked me to deliver the latest edition of his favourite book to him as soon as it is out. I couldn't possibly go against his wishes. He _is_ my best customer. It is unfortunate that the book has to come out when I am short of hands…"

"…" Sasuke chose to say nothing. The man was a pretty determined person considering his age. He looked down when he heard the man call him again.

"Child? If you don't mind me asking, where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you to a clinic. You don't look well and I know the best person who can help you."

The old man seemed shocked at this. He started to struggle. "No, no! I must deliver the book! My customer… I must! I've already accepted the payment! It is not the shop's policy to send in goods late!"

"Calm down, jiisan," Sasuke said exasperatedly, dragging the old man so that he kept moving. When the old man didn't seem to want to stop struggling, Sasuke took another rattling sigh, feeling annoyed. Was it so hard to do a good deed once in awhile?

"Alright, alright. I'll do the delivery for you, jiisan. So don't worry, okay?" the old man stopped.

"You mean it, child?"

Sasuke nodded, a resigned look on his face. At this, the old man's face brightened.

"Thank you, my child. Thank you!" he looked all too eager to pass on the job to someone else and Sasuke briefly wondered if he had just been tricked into doing the job.

Minutes later, they were both standing outside Shizune's door facing the landlady herself. Shizune was already dressed for the day, even though it was still early, as she stared at the pair at her doorstep.

Quickly, Sasuke described the situation. "Shizune-san. This ojiisan is sick. Could you take a look at him?"

Shizune raised her eyebrows at the Uchiha. It wasn't often that the boy did things like this, she couldn't help feeling surprised.

"Well, good of you, Sasuke, to offer your help like that," Shizune said, her eyebrows still lifted at the Uchiha.

"It was… a coincidence. I happened to be there… I noticed that ojiisan was not feeling well."

"Well, it was still nice of you to help out and I must say I'm quite surprised," Shizune said, helping the old man into her home. "Anyway, I'll handle this from here."

As she led the old man inside, the old man smiled at Sasuke, thanking him.

"Thank you, child! If only my own grandson were this helpful…"

Sasuke took the small package that he had kept in his shinobi pouch back out.

"So, ojiisan. Who's this supposed to be delivered to?"

The old man beamed at him but didn't answer the question. "I am so grateful for your help… If there's anything you want from me…"

Sasuke shrugged it off. He didn't think that there would be anything he wanted from the old man. He just wanted to get this over and done with so he could go back to his training.

"So, who's this for?" Sasuke asked, feeling the package in his hand.

"This package is supposed to be sent to a Hatake Kakashi."

Sasuke blinked.

"Kaka…shi?" he asked disbelievingly.

The old man nodded. He pointed at the package Sasuke held. "It's the latest installation of the Icha Icha series. Kakashi-san would want his book."

Sasuke, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. Great. Just his luck. The package was for his very own teacher. Not only that, it contained a very perverted book, courtesy of the ero-Sennin, Jiraiya.

"Oh, my. Is it too much to ask for you to help deliver this book?" the old man asked when he saw the irritated look on Sasuke's face.

Recovering his posture, Sasuke put the neatly wrapped book into his shinobi pouch again. Turning to the old man, he bowed his head slightly.

"It's alright, jiisan. I'll handle it."

At these words, the old man's face lit up. With a final 'thank you', he was helped into the house by Shizune as he started to cough and wheeze again.

Seeing the door shut in front of him, Sasuke turned and started to walk away. Deciding to just drop the book at his teacher's house now (he didn't fancy the idea of carrying an Icha Icha book with him), he made his way back into the center of the village.

-End Flashback-

"_How troublesome…" _the raven haired boy thought to himself, borrowing the trademark words of a certain Konoha genius, as he walked on, very aware that the perverted book was now sitting in the pouch around his thigh. Since when had he been one to be friendly and helpful? Normally, he would just walk away, not even bothering if someone were to drop dead in front of him. But now… he was different. He was more open to people. It all started awhile ago, ever since he had allowed Naruto into his heart... His heart, he realized, had softened since then.

Sasuke felt the ends of his lips twitch involuntarily into a smile. It happened every time the blond boy entered his thoughts. Well, this just proved how much Naruto had managed to warm the heart of the previously icy-cold Uchiha.

"_Just having him nearby… is all I need to make my day…" _he thought to himself, a reminder of how important Naruto's presence was to him now.

With his mind filled with the image of the blue-eyed blond boy, Sasuke continued on his journey to his sensei's house.

Just as he rounded a corner of one of the village streets, he suddenly saw something that made him look up. Up ahead, he saw Sakura hurrying towards his direction. The expression on her face was one of impatience and frustration as her head turned left and right. She seemed to be looking for something, or more likely, someone.

Suddenly, as she turned her head to look in front of her, she caught sight of Sasuke. Immediately, she hurried towards him. Sasuke stood still, waiting for her to reach him.

"Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed when she was standing directly in front of him. She looked out of breath, as if she had been running all morning.

"Sakura," he nodded, acknowledging her. "What are you doing here? Don't you have to meet Hokage-sama for training?"

Sakura took a moment to catch her breath before answering him. Straightening herself, her eyes met his. "Iie. Tsunade-sama cancelled today's session. She had some sort of meeting."

Sasuke nodded, showing that he understood. He continued to look at her, waiting for her to speak again. She did.

"Sasuke-kun… I was just wondering… Have you seen Naruto?" she asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

Sasuke's ears perked up at the name of the person he adored. His eyes widened slightly in curiosity.

"Naruto? No… I haven't seen him today…"

He was surprised when he heard Sakura curse angrily under her breath at his reply. She noticed this.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke-kun… It's just that… I really need to talk to him, and I've been looking_ everywhere _for him. I just have no idea _where_ he's disappeared to…" she trailed off in frustration.

Sasuke shook his head. "Iie. It's fine. Is it an emergency? Did something happen?" he asked.

"No, no… It's… it's… just something between the two of us…"

"Sou…" Sasuke said in reply, his suspicions confirmed.

He watched the pink-haired shinobi in front of him, carefully taking in her every move and expression.

For awhile, she seemed to fume at that spot. And then, she suddenly looked back up at him.

"Ano, thanks anyway, Sasuke-kun. I have to be going," she quickly bowed her head, and took her leave.

Sasuke watched her retreating back in silence. What could have happened that Sakura needed to see Naruto that badly? Sakura's face had looked very disturbed. Could it be…? Had Lee really confessed to Sakura already? If that was so, then where was Naruto? Hadn't he told the blond last night to do something about Lee before anything happened?

"_Ano usuratonkachi," _he thought in his mind exasperatedly.

In a split second, he made up his mind. Taking quiet steps forward, he followed Sakura. Catching up to her, he silently followed every turn she took as she looked for Naruto, making sure she was not aware of his presence. He wanted to keep an eye on both of his teammates. He needed to know what was going on.

Tailing Sakura, he was careful not to let Sakura see or hear him. Sasuke was not the type that went around sneaking after his friends like some nosy kid but these were his two best friends they were talking about now, and they were special cases.

Silently, he continued to stalk the kunoichi, his errand and his plans to train completely forgotten.

**

* * *

**

Naruto picked at one of the kunais' which were scattered across the ground. He was currently at the training grounds behind the academy. It wasn't where he usually trained but for some reason, he had felt like coming here today.

Naruto sighed, squatting down as he fiddled with the kunai which he had just picked up. Flicking it back and forth between his fingers, he stared at the green grass beneath him absent-mindedly.

Today was just not his day. First, he had woken up with a splitting headache, probably from fatigue and weariness due to the excessive thinking that he had been forced to do lately. And then, he had spent more than an hour trying to decide whether or not to head over to Sakura's house. At this, he sighed again.

Last night, he had found out that Lee was back in the village and that he was going to confess his still-intact feelings for Sakura. And he, Naruto, had not stopped it due to reasons he himself didn't understand.

After a whole night of thinking it through, with Sasuke's advice ringing in his ears, Naruto had still not come to any real decision of what to do. Against Sasuke's warnings, Naruto had not been able to drag himself to Sakura's house that morning. He should have gone to see Sakura and tell her about Lee, or stop Lee before he even met Sakura, or do anything at all that could have mended the mistake of not telling Lee about his relationship last night. But he had ended up doing _nothing_.

So now here he was, squatting beside his pile of kunai and moping. After thinking so much last night, there was at least one thing that he had come to realize. And that was about his feelings for Sakura. He just wasn't sure about it anymore. Wasn't sure of his feelings for her, wasn't sure of this relationship, wasn't sure of anything anymore. Catching the kunai that he had been playing with in his hand, he became still.

"_I thought… I thought what I had for her was real… I thought this was what I'd always wanted… Then why doesn't this feel… right? I've wanted to be loved for so long, and now that I have it… why do I feel like this isn't quite what I expected it to be..? Somehow, I just feel… that this is not what love should feel like…"_

Naruto stared blankly at the space in front of him, his body immobile. But then again, he thought to himself, it wasn't like he had ever been loved before. So how did he know that this isn't what it's supposed to be like?

"_I don't know!"_ Naruto argued with himself. _"I just don't think its right!"_

With a huff of impatience and frustration, Naruto flung the kunai he had been holding to the nearest target that had been prepared for his training. It missed the target by a few feet and hit a medium-sized rock which sent it ricocheting towards the ground and burying itself halfway into the earth.

Growling in irritation, he got up to pick the kunai. Just as he bent down to remove the kunai from the ground, he was shocked half to death when a voice behind him spoke.

"I've been looking for you."

Naruto jumped. Turning around, he caught sight of the person whom the voice belonged to.

"Sakura-chan…"

Naruto tried to still the rapid beating of his heart against his chest. He had been caught off-guard. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had not noticed her approaching him.

Sakura had an unreadable expression on her face, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she stood there behind Naruto. The blond boy couldn't help but feel nervous. Had Lee already made his move?

"Uh… hi, Sakura-chan. You're early today!" Naruto said, faking a cheery smile.

Sakura stared back, her face an expressionless mask. She did not reply.

Naruto gulped. A chill ran up his spine at the way she was staring at him, her green eyes boring deeply into him. Unable to take it, he promptly looked down.

"So, uh, Sakura-chan… Is there something you wanted to see me about?" he asked tentatively, braving himself to hear her reply.

He felt her stare at him for the longest time ever. Was she going to yell? Would she be angry enough to hit him? Would she cry? Naruto didn't know. He wasn't even sure if Lee had done anything yet. But he _was _sure of one thing though. Something was up with Sakura. Whether it's about Lee, about them, or something else… he wasn't sure… yet.

Finally, after a long while which seemed like forever to Naruto, Sakura's hand moved to her side, reaching into her pouch. Naruto held his breath. Was she_ really_ angry? Was she angry enough to hit him with whatever shinobi utensils hidden in her bag? He had a feeling he was going to find out. Not daring to move or to say anything, he waited.

As Sakura reached into her pouch, the blond squinted his eyes as he cowered slightly, half expecting to see a glint of metal as kunais and shurikens came flying out. But none of that came. Sakura had finally reached for the item she was looking for. Naruto recovered as he saw two pieces of paper in the kunoichi's hand. He let out a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't _so_ angry as to kill him right then and there.

"Here," Sakura said, thrusting one of the paper-like thing she held in her hand into Naruto's face.

Naruto jumped slightly. When had she come right in front of him? Disconcerted, he carefully took the thing Sakura was holding out in front of him. He stared at it.

"This is…?" he asked slowly, brows furrowed.

"It's a ticket for a movie tonight. 8 o'clock at the village theatre," Sakura explained shortly.

Naruto blinked. He stared at the paper again. That's right. It was a movie ticket for some romance flick being shown at the theatres. Naruto blinked confusedly. He looked up at Sakura only to see her staring back at him with those same expressionless eyes.

"This is… for me?" the blond boy asked dumbly.

Fully expecting her to lash out at him for asking such a stupid question, he mentally prepared himself for the usual reaction he got whenever he got on her nerves. Much to his surprise, nothing of that sort happened. She continued to stare at him.

"Of course it's for you," she replied simply.

Naruto almost choked disbelievingly. He eyed her carefully, silently willing her to go back to her usual self. This strong and silent Sakura was… unnerving him, and to be honest, he was getting a little bit scared.

"You'll be there, won't you?" she asked. It was more of an order than a question. Naruto felt a slight rise in his irritation level. Disturbed as he was by her strange behaviour, her bossy attitude was getting to him.

"_There she goes… bossing me around again…"_ he thought to himself. But even though he didn't like it, seeing the eyes that stared straight through him like beams of lasers, he didn't dare go against her. Just like he never dared to deny her what she wanted. It had always been the same, ever since they were young…

"Sure… I'll be there…" he answered finally.

"Good," Sakura said. She turned around so that her back faced Naruto. However, she didn't move. When she spoke again, her voice held a venomous touch in it.

"Don't be late… It's an important date…" she said.

At these words, Naruto was torn between feeling annoyed and feeling fearful. In the end, he swallowed thickly before replying.

"It's a date then."

Without so much as a nod, Sakura took off, leaving the blond boy behind. When she left, Naruto breathed in a sigh of relief. He sank back onto the ground, feeling shaky.

"_What was that all about? What's up with Sakura-chan today? She seemed… dangerous. Is she mad about me not telling thick-eyebrows about 'us'? Did thick-eyebrows confess already? If he did, then why didn't she say anything…? Does she even know that I knew that Lee was going to confess? Is she mad that I didn't stop him? Can it be…?"_

As he let the endless questions trail off, he lifted the ticket in his hand to his face in order to look at it properly. Could it be that she was waiting until tonight's date before saying anything about it to him?

"So that's it, huh? Tonight…" Naruto whispered to himself. Getting up, he kept the ticket safely in his own bag. Picking up the fallen kunais strewn across the ground, he steeled himself for the upcoming 'date' that night.

"_This would be a hell of a date…"_ Naruto thought to himself.

**

* * *

**

Up in the trees not too far away, a hidden figure kept 'itself' hidden as 'it' heard the conversation that had occurred. Sasuke folded his arms as he thought the conversation over.

"_8 o' clock at the theatre, huh…?"_

Making up his mind, the Uchiha silently retreated from his hidden spot on the trees. He made his way safely out of the academy grounds, unbeknownst to the blond still picking up the kunais from the ground.

**

* * *

**

Training that day was in a somber mood. As the three younger members of Team 7 went about their usual training routines, it was obvious that something was not right.

Naruto's concentration wasn't on his training, or even on anything else for that matter. He kept glancing nervously at Sakura as if expecting her to explode anytime. Meanwhile, Sakura kept on with her own training, totally ignoring the blond along with everyone else. On the other hand, Sasuke seemed to be acting normally if not for the fleeting thoughtful looks he sent both his teammates from time to time. And to top that all up, none of them bothered to say anything to one another, causing the day's training to be one of the most uncomfortable ever.

All in all, Hatake Kakashi was thoroughly baffled by his students' behaviours. Having arrived late as usual at the agreed training spot, he was greeted by a less than friendly welcome from his students. He didn't even get the usual 'You're late!' from Naruto and Sakura. In fact, his students didn't even seem to notice his presence.

As he stood there with his arms crossed, he decided to just allow his students to train by themselves that day - seeing as he was being completely ignored – as he watched them with the eye not covered by his face mask.

"_Maa… whatever it is, I hope they'll sort it out soon…"_

Not having anything else to do, he took a seat on a nearby rock that protruded from the ground. Pulling out his favourite Icha Icha book, he settled into a comfortable position and started reading when a thought crossed his mind.

"_Come to think of it, the latest Icha Icha book I ordered sure is taking a long time… I'm sure I ordered it to be delivered immediately though… I wonder if my order has been forgotten… Oh well…"_

Shrugging his thoughts off, he turned back to his book as he silently hoped that whoever whom was having his book now would hurry up and deliver it to him already.

**

* * *

**

Sasuke sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he briefly wondered if he caught a cold. Nah, couldn't be. Sasuke was never one to be prone to such illnesses. Maybe someone was thinking of him. Yeah, that seemed more likely – considering half the female population in Konoha was still infatuated with him.

Shaking off his thoughts, he continued practicing his kata. Out of the corner of his eye, he stole another glance at Naruto. Then, he turned slightly to catch a glimpse of Sakura. Both his teammates looked much the same as they had since that morning. Naruto – nervous and distracted, Sakura – silent and... scary.

Taking his eyes off of them, he concentrated on his own training, albeit half-heartedly. In any case, he was going to watch after them this time. The theatre at 8 tonight, Sasuke will be there. He wasn't going to let them screw up what he had worked so hard for. Not when he had given up so much…

"_Definitely… I won't let Naruto hurt himself…"_

With that in mind, he continued his kata, every once in awhile glancing back and forth between his two teammates.

**

* * *

**

Naruto continued the same training with the kunais which he had been doing that morning. But now, his aim seemed to have gotten worse. He wasn't surprised though.

Throughout training, he kept getting distracted. Every now and then, he would take a peek out of the corner of his eye at the kunoichi just a few feet away from him, trying to catch a hint of what she was thinking. This didn't work though. The girl was adamantly refusing to even look at him.

Extremely put out and nervous, he continued his training uncomfortably, all the while feeling very aware of the ticket to his date that night, kept safely in his bag.

"_It looks like I'll only find out what she's thinking about tonight…"_

Still extremely nervous and perhaps even more disturbed than before, he threw yet another kunai at the target in front of him and once again missed by a few feet - causing the weapon to bounce off the rock that it had hit and almost stabbing a passing-by rabbit.

**

* * *

**

Sakura sat at her spot on the ground where she was practicing her chakra control. She was, by all means, aware of the stares she was getting. Yes, _stares_. She sensed not only Naruto giving her fleeting looks, but also her other teammate.

She wasn't surprised. There was no doubt that a heavy mood was hanging between her and Naruto and surely Sasuke, being the observant person he was, probably felt it as well. Though it was a little strange that Sasuke would show any concern to whatever happens to her and Naruto's relationship…

Shrugging it off as her overactive imagination, she continued her training in silence, refusing to give any indication that she'd noticed the two boys' chancing glances at her. She didn't care. She didn't want to talk about it. Not until tonight.

She didn't know why, but that morning when she had set out to look for Naruto, she had been all ready to question him angrily about his failing to tell Lee that they were attached. She didn't know why she felt angry about this. Naruto _could_ be a little too kind at times - and the explanation that he had failed to let Lee know about their relationship because he didn't have the heart to, seemed believable enough. But maybe because of all the confusion and uneasiness that she had felt lately, she was inclined to get angry at his inability to do something, anything - when a threat to their relationship appeared.

All fired up and set to yell at him like she always did when he annoyed her, she had finally found him training at the academy. She had stood there for awhile, watching him. She didn't know the reason, but when she had reached the place, her anger seemed to have developed into something else. A cold, calm had settled in her heart and all of a sudden, she didn't feel like yelling at him anymore.

Calmly, she had spoken out to him. Catching his attention, she had talked for awhile in a voice so unlike her own. Emotionless and unyielding. Seeing Naruto nervous like that, she had felt satisfied. She had given him the ticket then, telling him the details of the movie date that night. She had been hard as steel, practically threatening the blond to show up for the date. She didn't care though. It was his fault that she was being like this and he deserved every bit that he got. He was the one that caused the mess with Lee. He was the one causing her to feel uneasy. He was the one that had said that he loved her… and yet she somehow felt unable to feel the love that he claimed he had for her. It was all his fault for making her confused like this.

"_That's fine… It'll all be settled… Tonight…"_

With that last thought, she went back to her training. At that very moment, neither of the three younger members of Team Seven knew that the date that night, would be a date that changed everything for them.

**

* * *

**

Leaning his back against the wall, Naruto waited nervously for his 'date' to show up. It was ten minutes to eight and he had been standing here for almost thirty minutes already. The sky had already darkened but the crowd outside the theatre was incredible. It felt like half the population of Konoha was here tonight. Either way, Naruto paid no heed to them.

After Sakura's cold treatment that day, he didn't dare turn up late for fear of triggering her wrath upon him. And that was the reason why he had turned up here so early.

After training, which had passed miserably with none of them speaking to each other, he had gone home to wash up before making it here. Training had not lasted long, due to the fact that they weren't in the mood for it, and this allowed Naruto ample time to get ready. However, he had been so nervous about meeting Sakura that he ended up spending the rest of his free time before his doom walking aimlessly around town before finally coming to a stop at the theatre 30 minutes before the agreed time.

Turning his head, he glanced at the clock hung outside the theatre. It was five minutes to eight now. Any later and they would miss the beginning of their movie. Where was Sakura? As he briefly wondered whether Sakura was being 'purposely-late', 'fashionably-late', or really just plain late, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He froze on the spot.

Not daring to turn around, he listened to the approaching footsteps. There was no mistake. The aura that exuded from the person coming towards him was all he needed to ensure him that his guess was correct. He was suddenly very afraid. Afraid of what he would see, what he would be presented with if he turned around. Would she be angry? Or will she give him the cold treatment that she had done during training? Or maybe… something worse? Gulping, he pulled himself together and turned his head to face her.

His jaw dropped. In front of him, Sakura stood. Her usual attire was gone, replaced by a knee-length, spaghetti-strapped dress. The stylish, red coloured clothing showed off her slim figure and exhibited enough skin to entice any hot-blooded male. She was beautiful and utterly - _hot_. She had a matching handbag in her hand instead of the handy little shinobi pouch that hung on her hip. In no time at all, she closed the distance between her and Naruto.

When Sakura was right in front of him, Naruto remembered that he was supposed to be nervous. Sakura was still angry at him after all, right? Fastening his jaw back in its place, he faltered slightly.

"Um, Sakura-chan…" he trailed off uncertainly. Much to his shock, she smiled back at him.

"Naruto. Sorry to keep you waiting," she said in between the smile she gave him.

Naruto was beyond surprised. What was that? Was she _smiling_ at him? Wasn't she angry or something…?

"Sakura-chan… are… are you okay?" was all that he managed to blurt out in his confusion.

"Me? Of course I'm fine. Is there a reason not to be?" she replied patiently, the smile still on her face.

"But… but… I thought," a bewildered Naruto began. Unable to find the right words, he stopped talking. Letting out a breath of relief, Naruto relaxed. It was better this way anyway. At least, she didn't seem angry anymore…

"Never mind. It's nothing, Sakura-chan."

She smiled at him again. This time, Naruto felt himself warm up to that smile. He smiled back. He was starting to feel a little more excited about this date now that Sakura seemed fine.

"Well, let's go! We're gonna be late!" Sakura said, nodding towards the theatre.

"Uh… hai!" Naruto said before starting to make his way to the theatre's front doors. Before he could even move though, he was surprised – again – when he felt an arm latching on to his. Looking down, he stared dumbly at the pink-haired girl whom had hooked her arm on his. She was tugging him slightly, urging him to move.

Naruto was still shocked, but then he started to blush at Sakura's sudden closeness. He continued to move towards the doors, his face a faint shade of red. After a few moments, he forced himself to relax as he adjusted himself to the feeling of Sakura hanging onto him. He had assumed that she was angry at him and had used the date as a reason to let it out on him, but that didn't seem to be the case now. Feeling much more cheerful now than he had been earlier, he then walked into the theatre, bypassing the crowd gathered there, all ready for a good movie.

**

* * *

**

In a back alley just behind the theatre, a lone figure appeared from the shadows. Watching Naruto and Sakura intently, Sasuke felt a sudden burst of envy when he noticed the close proximity in which the two were walking. Hesitating, he wondered briefly if he should go on following them like what he had originally planned to do, or to forget it and leave. Now that things seemed fine between the two, he didn't really feel like watching over them… especially when they were attached so closely to one another…

A moment later, he made up his mind to follow them. Since he had been waiting here for the past few hours already, he might as well go along with it. His help may still be needed if Sakura really _was_ still mad. You can never be too sure when it came to girls.

Immediately after training that day, he had taken his place in the alley behind the theatre. So intent he was of his intentions that he ended up not even going home to rest or wash up. It was so unlike him to sit around, doing nothing and wasting time. But then again, he never was his usual self whenever Naruto was involved.

Following closely behind his two teammates, he made sure that he kept out of sight, not wanting to be discovered. When the two entered the theatre doors, he kept on their trail, carefully making his way through the people cluttered in the building. He stayed back, hiding himself when the couple in front of him stopped in front of a man who was collecting the tickets before allowing them access to the movie hall.

When they were safely out of sight again, he moved forward. He had prepared for this. Immediately after finding out about Naruto's date tonight, he had gotten himself a ticket too. They had been sold out but luckily enough, the lady selling the tickets at the counter had been another one of the girls who thought he was cute and couldn't resist when he asked for her help. Blushing and embarrassed, the lady had given him one of the reserved tickets, assuring him that it was okay. He had uttered a 'thanks' then and smiled gratefully at her, causing the lady to go into hyperventilation and almost forgetting to collect the payment for the ticket.

Thrusting the ticket at the man checking the tickets, the Uchiha impatiently waited to be granted access. When he was finally allowed through, he hurriedly followed in Naruto's and Sakura's tracks. Spotting them ahead, he observed the duo as they entered the assigned movie theatre, Theatre 5. Sasuke waited for them to enter first before following suit.

Just as he was about to enter the theatre, he was shocked half-to-death when a voice suddenly called out to him, albeit in a rather loud voice.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke abruptly turned around, heart beating fast. Hoping fervently that neither Naruto nor Sakura had noticed his name being called, he caught sight of the culprit. A bushy set of eyebrows filled his sight. (That seems to be first thing everybody sees, isn't it?) There standing some few feet behind him, holding a box filled with popcorn, was Rock Lee.

Lee was staring innocently at the raven haired boy, round eyes blinking. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Sasuke panicked.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here? Watching a movie? Wh…hmph!" Lee was immediately cut off when a hand clamped his mouth shut.

"Shut up!" Sasuke hissed in the older boy's ear.

Lee froze, eyes widening. Sasuke dragged him further away from the Theatre 5 entrance where people were streaming into the screening hall, for fear of attracting attention. Pulling Lee behind a nearby pillar, Sasuke let go of his hold on Lee's mouth, all the while glaring.

Lee stared at Sasuke, a confused expression on his face. Noticing the icy glare directed at him, he cowered under the gaze. However, his curiosity won over his fear, and he dared himself to voice the question that was in his mind.

"What are you doing Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Seeing the suspicious look on Lee's face though, he faltered.

"I'm… watching a movie," Sasuke answered, clearing his throat as he did so. But he couldn't stop the embarrassed blush which was beginning to spread on his face. Damn it. What the hell was he blushing for? He didn't have time for this! He had to get into the hall as quickly as possible to keep an eye on the two.

"Really?" Lee asked, cutting in his thoughts. He seemed rather skeptical about the Uchiha's words.

"Aa… So, if you don't mind, I have to go…" Sasuke answered, trying to sound as honest as he could, as he made his way to the entrance once more. Lee was still looking at him suspiciously.

Just as he was about to step into the hall, a hand grabbed his arm. He whirled around once more, all ready to snap at Lee. But to his surprise, the person who grabbed him, wasn't Lee.

"What are you doing here?" Ebisu-sensei asked, his voice echoing in the almost empty hallway.

Sasuke was startled. His body tensed.

"E..Ebisu?" he spluttered out in shock. Ebisu was a jounin of Konoha, and a closet pervert according to Naruto. Sasuke had never been close to him before but he'd heard stories about the jounin from the blond. More importantly now, Sasuke was beginning to wonder what was everyone he knew doing in the same place, at the same time?

"How rude! It's Ebisu-sensei to you. I may be young for a jounin, but I am still a senior shinobi," the closet-pervert replied, speaking indignantly in a very loud voice.

"Good evening, Ebisu-sensei," Lee approached the two of them, bowing respectfully to the jounin. Lee recognized Ebisu as one of Gai's friends.

"Why, aren't you Lee-kun? I didn't know you've come back? How are things at the Sound?" Ebisu asked, apparently surprised at seeing Lee's presence at the village. His voice started to increase in volume, causing Sasuke to twitch impatiently as Lee replied to Ebisu's question.

"Not very well I'm afraid. We're trying our best to make ends meet over there."

"I'm sure you're doing a fine job! You're under Gai-san aren't you? An excellent jounin such as myself, if I do say so myself," Ebisu laughed heartily.

"Absolutely! Gai-sensei is a great teacher! He…"

"Excuse me!" a sudden outburst came. Both Lee and Ebisu turned to face the now extremely annoyed Uchiha.

Sasuke glared at the older man, not caring about things like respect and manners anymore. All he wanted was to keep an eye on Naruto and Sakura. Why was it that _everyone_ had to get in the way?

"If you would please…" Sasuke said dangerously, pulling Ebisu's grip off of his arm. For a moment, Ebisu faltered. But then he seemed to gain his courage again.

"Young man! Just where is it that you are so intent on going? I, as a frequent movie-goer, am always at the theatre, but not once have I seen _you_ here. So, of course it's only natural that I feel curious about it…" he tightened his grip once more on the Uchiha. The jounin looked at him curiously through his shades.

Completely losing his patience, Sasuke growled at the jounin and wrenched his arm away. He was seriously starting to get pissed. Why didn't everyone just mind their own business? However, the closet-pervert wasn't as easy as that. He kept his grip firmly on Sasuke. After all, he wasn't a jounin for nothing.

Exasperated and tired, Sasuke felt himself at his wits end. He saw the lights in the theatre Naruto and Sakura had entered into turn dim. That did it. Sasuke pulled his right arm away and stuck his hand inside the shinobi pouch hung on the side of his thigh. As if he had meant to do it all the while, he pulled out 'something' from the pouch and stuffed the 'thing' in the jounin's face, forcing him to let go of Sasuke. That was all he needed. Sasuke dashed off towards the theatre, just as the doors were about to be closed by the on-duty cinema people.

Surprised, Ebisu pulled off the 'thing' that had been shoved into his face. Rubbing his sore nose, as the 'thing' had been rather roughly pushed into it, he stared at the item in his hands. After a few moments, his eyes widened behind the dark shades he always wore.

"This… this is! The latest installment of the Icha Icha series! This is great! I didn't know it was out! Haha!" Ebisu was overjoyed.

"Well, well. Never underestimate the young ones I always say! Heh! I'll let the kid go this time!"

With that, Ebisu walked out of the hall, happily clutching the book. After a few steps, he stopped and turned back.

"Eh? That's weird. Lee-kun has disappeared too…"

Standing there, he stared at the now closed doors of the theatre hall. Shrugging his shoulders, he finally went off on his way. Perhaps he should just leave them alone to their own devices after all. It wasn't his business what young people did these days anyway. Burying his nose in the book, he left the theatre.

**

* * *

**

Creeping into the dark theatre hall, Sasuke kept low. Finally, he had managed to get in. But it wouldn't do for Naruto and Sakura to notice him now. Somewhere in front, he saw the familiar blond spikes of Naruto's hair. That was good news as Sasuke found out that he was sitting just three rows behind his two teammates. Settling down in his seat, he was glad that the movie had not started yet. People around him were chattering, which provided him with enough commotion so that neither of his teammates was able to sense him.

Sliding lower in his seat so that he would not be seen if Naruto or Sakura decided to turn around, he adjusted himself to get a clear view of the two. He was determined to watch them the whole time, ignoring the movie. Just as he was focusing himself for what he had to do, he almost got a heart-attack for the second time in that hour when the person beside him grabbed his arm. Sasuke turned.

"You!" the Uchiha was shocked. The person beside him was none other than Lee. "What are you doing here?"

Lee had a funny look on his face. His eyes weren't on Sasuke. Instead, they were looking at the front or more specifically, at Naruto and Sakura.

"I was right then… You were following Naruto-kun and Sakura-san…"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as Lee stared at him knowingly. Just then, the opening theme for the movie started.

Collecting himself, Sasuke muttered quietly to Lee. "How did you get in here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I followed you", Lee whispered back.

"You got in without a ticket?"

"Ano, I do have a ticket. I did come here for a movie, you know," Lee answered, holding up his popcorn as evidence.

"Right. And of all the movies being screened, you're here for _this_ movie?"

"Er, right."

"Fine. How come you're sitting next to me then?"

"Erm, because this _is_ my seat Sasuke-kun. It's written on my ticket here. I'm sitting right next to you. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Sasuke looked at the ticket Lee had thrust to him. There was no lie in Lee's words. Fate was really playing with him today. Someone up there must really dislike him…

"The show's starting, Sasuke-kun!" Lee said excitedly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Whatever. There was nothing he could do about it now. Lee could watch the movie, Sasuke had his own task to do. Settling himself down, Sasuke continued to watch Naruto and Sakura, ignoring everything else around him.

However, unbeknownst to Sasuke, the bushy-eyed shinobi was watching over him just as intently as he was watching over his two teammates.

**

* * *

**

Sakura stole a glance to her right as the movie in front of her played. The movie was now at its halfway point and neither Sakura nor Naruto had said anything to each other since the movie started.

The blond seated beside her had his full attention on the screen. He was now tremendously relaxed compared to earlier when she had just shown up. Well, that was to be expected of. She did give him quite the cold treatment when she had given him his ticket, forcing him to go on this date. He had looked frightened then, but at this moment, he seemed totally comfortable with the whole situation.

Sakura stared at Naruto's face. He looked calm and happy, his focus solely on the movie.

"Yeah! Go for it Yutaro!" Naruto suddenly said out loud as the main character in the movie chased after the heroine.

"Shhhh!" was the response he got from the other people sitting near him.

Sheepishly, he grinned at them apologetically as he sank lower in his chair. Turning to his left, he caught sight of Sakura looking at him. He merely smiled at her embarrassedly before turning back to the show.

Watching Naruto's actions, a small smile made its way to Sakura's face. Naruto was really… cute.

Slowly, Sakura lifted her right hand. Tentatively, she reached out to Naruto's left hand which rested on the armrest. Gently bringing her hand down, she saw Naruto stiffen when their skin made contact. Hastily, Sakura clasped her fingers on the back of his hand, feeling the blond's warmth emanating from him through that touch.

At first, Naruto sat as still as a statue. Out of the corner of his eye, he stared at Sakura's small hand clutching his. It felt… odd. Sakura was acting really weird today. Her mood had switched from anger to affectionate all in one day. He didn't know what to think of this. While Sakura's show of affection warmed him up somewhat, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable with all this physical contact. Maybe he just wasn't used to a person being so close to him physically nor emotionally.

Slowly, he moved the hand that Sakura was clutching, and interlaced his fingers with hers. After all, that was what she expected him to do, wasn't it? He didn't know. But when he felt Sakura tighten her grip on his hand, he knew that it was too late to pull away.

Naruto sighed inwardly as he stared silently at Sakura, who now had her attention turned to the movie.

He sighed. No words had been exchanged between them. They could only guess what the other was thinking. Forcing down the feeling of discomfort and restriction that had appeared suddenly, Naruto adjusted himself in the seat, trying to concentrate once more on the movie.

Meanwhile, a few rows behind the couple, a tense Uchiha sat. His dark eyes were narrowed as he watched the play of affection the two in front of him were showing. He had a sudden urge to just get up and push them apart but refrained from doing so. It wasn't the best choice of actions to suddenly appear in front of the both of them and create a scene – not to mention what Naruto will think of him after that. Steeling himself to continue to silently spy on his two friends, he stayed in his seat, eyes never leaving the backs of the two figures seated a few rows in front of him.

Lee glanced at the Uchiha. The muscles in Sasuke's body were tense as he watched the two of his friends play 'loving couple' in front of him. Lee sighed. He closed his eyes, refusing to think unwanted thoughts. He shook his head, determined to not let his mind wander.

Lee turned back to the movie they were watching, trying to keep his attention on the show but unsurprisingly, he failed miserably.

**

* * *

**

"Where are we going?" a confused Naruto asked tentatively.

"Somewhere…" came the unhelpful reply from Sakura. "You'll see when we get there."

It was much, much later into the night and the movie had long since ended. After the movie, they had had their dinner in a nice, classy restaurant - which Sakura had convinced Naruto to come into after some threatening looks as well as assuring him that she would be the one paying this time since Naruto never did prefer to go to 'unnecessarily expensive' places to eat. In his opinion, all money was for ramen and ramen alone.

The restaurant turned out to be a good choice after all, with both girl and boy enjoying themselves thoroughly. It wasn't those kinds of romantic dining places which dimmed the lights so much that you can't really see what you're eating. In fact, the environment had been friendly, with many groups of families and friends eating quietly at each table, sharing small conversation. The food was superb and the company comfortable. All in all, Naruto felt the place wasn't bad. But still, nothing could beat Ichiraku's.

After the dinner, Sakura had insisted they take a walk around Konoha before heading back home. Naruto, though reluctant and nervous, agreed. He was still a bit afraid that Sakura would suddenly burst out and yell at him though admittedly, he had relaxed himself enough that he didn't feel as worried as he was before the movie. Currently, Sakura had her hold on Naruto's hand, dragging him to some unknown destination.

The moonlit sky was clear once more, stars strewn across it. It was another beautiful midsummer's night in Konoha. The silhouettes of the couple were seen as they made their way across the grounds of Konoha village.

Naruto was silent as he allowed Sakura to lead the way. He was feeling a little nervous. The nervousness had been there the whole night ever since the date had started, though he had been relaxed since Sakura had treated him normally. But now, he had a feeling that her odd behavior that morning, when she had first asked him on this date, was going to show itself again. Feeling worried, he followed her, trusting that things will be fine and that he was wrong.

Soon, he found himself being led to the outskirts of the village and towards the forest area. Suspicions arose more wildly in his heart.

"_This… this is the way to the training grounds… No… No, its not… Our training ground is closer to the East…"_ thought Naruto. _"Where is Sakura-chan taking me?"_

He stared, a puzzled expression on his face, at the back of Sakura's body as she continued to walk steadily ahead into the night.

Moments later, they reached a big opening in the forest. As Sakura stepped into the vast space, with Naruto tailing her closely, she looked out for the single training pole which was supposed to be right in the middle of the clearing. Finding it, Sakura then stopped. This was their destination.

Naruto looked around. Judging by the looks of this place, it was nothing more than one of those training grounds scattered across Konoha. As he was silently pondering the reasons why Sakura would bring him here for, he watched as she silently made her way to the side, right in front of a particular tree trunk.

"I'll bet you're wondering why I brought you here for," Sakura said suddenly.

Naruto shot up straighter. Staring at the back of her body, he spoke. "Um… well… sorta…" he mumbled. Clearing his throat, he went on. "What is this place anyway? It's just a normal training spot, isn't it?"

Sakura did not answer immediately. She stood still, staring at the tree trunk for awhile before answering.

"Yes… this is a training spot… but not just any normal one…"

"How so?" Naruto asked curiously, his left eyebrow raised questioningly.

With this, Sakura whirled around, her pretty dress straining with her movements. Her green eyes stared straight into Naruto's.

"This morning, I met Lee here."

Naruto froze. There it was again, the look in Sakura's eyes as she stared straight into him. Cold and hard. Naruto shivered. It looked like the climax of the night was near. He was going to find out the true purpose of the date that had been arranged that night.

**

* * *

**

Up on a tree several feet away, Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he watched Sakura's exterior change. Her face was cold and unfeeling as she stared at the blond. It seemed that she _was_ still angry after all.

He dared himself to stretch his neck farther out to get a better view from behind the branches and leaves that he had hidden himself in. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he didn't dare move closer for fear of being discovered. There was nothing he could do about it and he settled for straining his ears as best as he can.

After the movie, Sasuke had continued to spy on his two friends, determined to carry out his own 'personal' mission till the end. He had ended up seeing some things he disliked during the night, such as when Sakura and Naruto held hands, when they laughed together during their dinner at the pricey restaurant, when Sakura had tripped on a tree root only to be caught by Naruto on the way to the training grounds they were currently at… Yep. He definitely saw some things he'd rather not see, but his will and determination had won. His desire to protect Naruto however way he could had given him the strength he needed to endure all that he saw. But then, when he started to think that Naruto may actually be enjoying himself…

Sasuke shook his head. No, he wasn't going to think of that. He needed to concentrate on the situation now. He was here to help his friends as best as he could. As he focused himself on the scene before him, he chanced a glance at his side and rolled his eyes despite the serious situation.

"So what are you still doing here?" the Uchiha asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The green-clad young man tensed slightly at the words directed at him. Lee grinned sheepishly from his position behind the tree branch in which he himself had hidden in.

"Erm, I'm following you?" he answered lamely.

"And why are you following me?"

"I want to see what Sakura-san and Naruto-kun are doing too."

"And why would you want to see that?" Sasuke asked, annoyed. In his opinion, Lee was just getting in his way.

But at these words, Sasuke saw Lee's eyes darken. Uncertainty filled him as a powerful emotion that came from the taijutsu expert washed over him. He was floored when Lee directed his gaze at him. There was a look so painful and lonely in there that Sasuke felt himself being overwhelmed.

"Sasuke-kun…" Lee started. "Did you know…? This place… it's my training ground with Gai-sensei…"

"Eh?" Sasuke said in surprise. He didn't know that. He had assumed that this was just one of the random training grounds scattered across Konoha's forests.

Lee nodded. "Hai. This is the place that I've trained at since I started my career as a shinobi," Lee explained. "It means a lot to me…"

Sasuke was silent. He understood the depth of the feeling that Lee must have for this place. This was the place where Lee had poured out all his hard work and determination for the past few years. Everything that Lee was now had been built here. But that didn't explain why Lee was following him here for, nor did it explain what Sakura was doing here.

"This morning…" Lee started to speak again. "This morning… I confessed my feelings to Sakura-san… here…"

And that was when realization hit. Sasuke's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten. He was so focused on following the duo and hell-bent on protecting Naruto from Sakura's wrath that he had totally forgotten the very cause of Sakura's wrath. He had totally forgotten that this whole mess had begun from Lee himself.

"I was rejected though… and that was why I was at the theatre just now. I just needed time alone to… to forget everything for awhile…" Lee said sadly, an unhappy look flitting across his face. "But then again, I guess I had it coming all along… she said she was already with Naruto-kun…"

Sasuke was silent as he stared at Lee, Naruto and Sakura temporarily forgotten.

"I was surprised when she said she was with Naruto-kun…" Lee continued. At these words, Lee looked down at the couple standing still somewhere below him.

"I was confused. Why didn't Naruto-kun tell me that he was already with Sakura-san? We saw each other just last night, and I _told_ him of what I was about to do. If he and Sakura-san were already together then… why didn't he stop me?" Lee asked.

"Naturally, any guy would have burst out at me if I did that. They would have protected the girl they loved at all costs. They would have gotten angry, or stopped me in any way somehow… but Naruto-kun didn't. Why?"

Lee turned back to face Sasuke. "Come to think of it… you knew about Naruto-kun and Sakura-san too… and you were there last night as well. I've only just realized. No wonder you said it was a bad idea for me to… confess…" Lee said regretfully.

Sasuke kept silent. He had nothing to say to this. He was spared the trouble of finding words to respond to this by Lee himself. "Maa… I guess you and Naruto-kun are just too nice… You guys just didn't want to hurt my feelings. I… appreciate it…" Lee said before offering Sasuke a smile.

Sasuke was at a loss for words. He turned away from Lee's gaze. Deciding that not saying anything was the best, he kept quiet. But Lee was not done talking.

"In any case, Sakura-san doesn't seem to be happy about it though," Lee said worriedly. "I sort of let out that Naruto-kun knew that I was going to confess. I think she's angry at him because he didn't try to stop me… she doesn't see what a nice guy Naruto-kun really is…"

In Sasuke's mind, doubtful thoughts were starting to muddle about. Personally, he felt that Sakura had a right to be angry at Naruto. The reason that Naruto did not stop Lee last night was still unclear to him as of now… Sasuke had decided the day before that the reason he didn't do so was because Naruto's 'nice guy' instincts were kicking in again but today, he was doubting that conclusion. There was something going on with Naruto that the blond was not telling anyone. Whatever it was, Sasuke had already decided that he won't let Naruto hurt himself because of his own doubts and idiocy.

"_I've said it before and I'll say it again… I'll protect you, Naruto. I'll help you reach your happiness. No matter what…"_

He didn't know how hard it was going to be to keep to that vow starting from now on.

**

* * *

**

Seconds that passed soon turned to minutes. But still, neither of the two attempted to break the vortex of silence that had been created in between them as Naruto and Sakura continued to stare at each other through the darkness of the night. Sakura's words had been left hanging in the air, leaving them in an uncomfortable position.

Naruto's blue eyes stared deep into Sakura's green ones as they continued their staring match, neither one willing to speak first. His heart was thumping wildly against his chest, a feeling of foreboding overshadowing him. The date was nearing its end, and he was going to have to face this once and for all. Strengthening his resolve, he balled his fists tightly before breaking the thick silence that hung between them.

"Oh? You met thick-eyebrows today?" Naruto asked, deciding to feign obliviousness.

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"_So that's how you want to play it, huh? Fine…"_

"That's right," the kunoichi replied nonchalantly. "I was rather surprised to find that he had come back to the village. Apparently, he only arrived here last night. Did you know that?"

Sakura's green eyes burned brightly into his, her voice had a touch of menace in them, as if daring him to continue lying to her.

Naruto abruptly turned his gaze away from her, unable to withstand the power of her stare. Instead, he concentrated his gaze onto a patch of yellowing grass in the middle of the training grounds.

"I… I knew he was back…" Naruto answered when he mustered enough courage to reply.

"Really? How come you never mentioned it to me all day today then?"

"I didn't think it was that important," Naruto replied, getting more and more nervous with each passing moment.

"You didn't think his coming back was important…" she repeated after him slowly. Turning her own gaze away as well – much to Naruto's relief – she stared at the moon in the sky. It was a full moon tonight.

"Funny that you should think his return to the village is not important," Sakura stated softly as she stared at the sky. "I think his return this time has brought about some change."

"…change…?" Naruto asked in a quiet voice.

Sakura kept silent at this point. It was maddening. Naruto felt tense with the suspense hanging in the air. Sakura could really be intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Yes, it has made a change," she finally said, turning to the blond. "Did you know? He confessed his feelings to me today. He wants me to get together with him. Right here at this spot," she said, pointing at the tree trunk she had been staring at. After a pause, she decided to just go ahead and add what she had really wanted to say the whole night.

"And also, I happen to know that you_ knew_ he had planned to confess today… and… and that you_ didn't_ stop him," Sakura said in a whisper.

Naruto was silent. Of course, this news did not come as a surprise to him at all. Just as Sakura had said, he _had _already known this since the night before. He had supported Lee although he was Sakura's very own boyfriend. He'd figured that she would find out sooner or later. The reason he had done what he had done was still alien to him, though he had a hunch that it was due to the… doubts he had been having about his and Sakura's relationship. This problem had only served to increase Naruto's worries about it. The whole situation had not allowed him to think about anything properly at all and he was just as confused as before. Not knowing what was it that he wanted, he felt very much at a loss.

Seeing the regretful look on Naruto's face, the last of Sakura's hopes that this was all just a big misunderstanding were dashed. There was no mistake in what she had assumed to have happened.

"Why?" she asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice. All day long, she had thought that she was angry at what Naruto had done, but now that it had come to this point, she realized that the disappointment she felt far outweighed her anger. She was upset.

Naruto did not answer. He _couldn't _answer. How could he answer a question that he himself had asked his own heart over and over again and yet still came up with nothing.

"Answer me Naruto!" Sakura demanded again, her voice growing in volume.

Naruto struggled to find a way to answer her question. "I… I don't know…"

"How can you not know?" Sakura asked, exasperated. "I'm your girlfriend, Naruto! There isn't even a need to question you about this! You should have stopped Lee-san if you had known! Why didn't you?"

"I… I really don't know…" Naruto answered faintly.

"You're supposed to protect me! If somebody was threatening to take me away from you, you should have stopped that somebody no matter who he was! But you… not only did you _not_ stop Lee-san… you were supporting him…"

Naruto hung his head limply as he stood there, unable to say anything in his own defense.

"_I know, Sakura-chan… I know what I should have done! But I didn't do it! I don't know why I didn't do it! I just don't know…"_

"You supported him… You told him to go for it… for me! What am I to you? Some kind of merchandise? How could you just let him off like that when you knew what he was going to do? Don't I mean anything to you?" Sakura's anger was returning now, her face was screwed up in an expression of rage and fury.

But still, the blond couldn't say anything. He had nothing to say for himself. Everything that Sakura had accused him of, it was all true. He was guilty of it all. Sakura had every right to be as angry as she wanted to be.

"Say something Naruto!"

Naruto lifted his head to meet her eyes. His eyes were dull, his face an expression of utmost regret. It was as if he had given up all hope of defending himself and had decided to allow Sakura to take it all out on him.

"I have nothing to say for myself…" he said softly.

Sakura clenched her fists. There was an internal storm brewing in her being at this very moment. She felt so angry, so upset, so frustrated…. and also, from the very depths of her soul, she felt fear. All the worries and insecurities that she had suppressed even before this problem had arose were all coming back up, and mixing itself with the turmoil she was feeling now. All the times she'd felt that Naruto was regretting being with her, Naruto's hesitance to go public, Naruto's discomfort at showing public affection, her fights with Naruto, even those fleeting moments when she sensed that Sasuke, Kakashi and Naruto knew something that they were keeping away from her, everything was resurfacing now. It was becoming clearer with each memory which came floating back up, and she did not like the conclusion that was starting to form in her brain.

Unable to think straight, Sakura took one step closer to the blond. Deciding that she would not be able to be at peace with herself unless this was resolved tonight, she went straight to the point.

"You know… I've been feeling it lately. A feeling that has been unsettling me…"

Naruto looked at her helplessly. He was beginning to feel tired of all of this. The happy mood he had been in earlier in the date had disappeared, to be replaced by his troubled thoughts once more.

"What feelings?" he asked in a voice devoid of any strength.

Sakura took another step forward and stopped directly in front of the blond boy.

"A feeling… that you're regretting this, that you're not happy…and… that you don't really love me…" she said.

Naruto's eyes snapped back at Sakura. The words that she had uttered had shocked his consciousness back into himself and the situation he was currently facing. His heartbeat increased in rate. Had she felt this all along?

"No! Sakura-chan, don't say things like that! It's not true!" he said quickly as he started rambling on. This was all his fault! He had been feeling so unsure and doubtful lately that Sakura had noticed it. This wasn't what he wanted to happen. Sakura wasn't supposed to know. At least, not until he had made sure what he _really _wanted.

Sakura merely stared at the frantic looking boy in front of her. She smiled before replying. "Though you say that, do you really mean it?"

Naruto stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened as he stared at her. He fell silent. "Why do you say that, Sakura-chan?" he asked softly.

"Because its true, isn't it?" she said ruefully. "Even now, I can't feel… the sincerity from you…"

Naruto's face turned grim. Things were taking a turn for the worse. And he was left powerless against it as the battle in him raged on, unresolved. Just what was he worrying about? Why was he even doubting this relationship? Sakura used to be everything to him… when did that change?

"This morning… after I'd found out that you hadn't stopped Lee from… doing what he did, I had come after you," Sakura started to say. "I had every intention of questioning you, getting angry at you… but when I finally found you, I didn't do any of that."

"There was a reason why I asked you out on this date instead of yelling at you then, you know," she went on explaining. Naruto remained quiet, merely listening to her talk.

"At first, I thought it was because I just wanted to resolve everything later so that I could gather myself first. But then I realized that it was actually because I wanted to believe it was a misunderstanding. I wanted things to be normal. I thought I'd just forget it, but I couldn't. I think that I was actually unconsciously waiting for you to say something first, to tell me that it was all just a big misunderstanding… but you didn't."

A suffocating silence soon began. They shared a stare. The feeling of guilt and helplessness escalated in Naruto. He felt extremely bad for causing Sakura so much pain, but he could not get rid of the uncomfortable feeling he had in his heart. The feeling that this whole relationship was just wrong still remained intact.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan…" he lifted both his hands and rested them on her shoulders. He was oblivious to the fact that Sakura's body tensed at his actions.

"You've been honest to me, so it's only right that I return to you the same honesty," Naruto said. "After all, love is a give and take relationship, isn't it?"

Sakura listened to him in silence. She felt herself melt underneath his warm touch. As he uttered words that were so meaningful and romantic at the same time, she felt her heart flutter, all sadness and disappointment momentarily forgotten.

"_Kami-sama… I've really fallen for him…" _she thought hazily, breaking out from her daze when the blond started talking again.

"I have to admit… I have been having issues of my own this past week," Naruto bowed his head in shame. "I've been having doubts… about our relationship."

A sinking feeling entered the pink-haired girl as her heart dropped. So she had been right after all… For once, she didn't feel happy about being right.

"So you do regret being with me…" she said miserably.

"No! That's not it!" Naruto protested loudly, his eyes blazing. The hands he had put on Sakura's shoulders gripped her tightly.

"Don't you ever say that! I will never regret being with you!" Naruto practically shouted.

Sakura's eyes' widened in shock at the force of his words. She was stunned. "But you just said…"

"Just because I said I've been having doubts, it doesn't mean I regret it alright?" he said forcefully. "I'm just… unsure… that's all…"

Sakura's face lifted. "Then… about Lee-san..."

"I'm sorry about that, okay? I just… wasn't thinking. I was so confused already and when he said he wanted to court you last night… I didn't know what to do. I ended up doing something stupid again, I guess…"

Sakura's eyes softened as she looked at the troubled boy in front of her. She felt her anger evaporate. So, the thing with Lee was because of this? All because he was being doubtful? Not because he regretted being with her? This was actually good news to her. Everything was falling into place now. Naruto was feeling doubtful of their relationship and that had been the cause to all these problems now. It was something some people experienced when they entered into a new relationship. As the answer became clear to Sakura, she became determined, her confidence restored.

"Then, Naruto… do you love me?" she asked him.

Naruto looked at her in surprise. Sakura knew that she was pushing him. It was obvious that what Naruto needed the most at the moment was more time. He needed to think things through, and let things happen one at a time. But Sakura couldn't wait for that. She needed to know now.

"Do you love me, Naruto? Think about it," she asked again.

"I… I…" Naruto stumbled over his own words. The pressure he was feeling suddenly increased tenfold. He didn't know what to say, or what to think! Why was Sakura asking him this so suddenly? He couldn't even answer that question to himself after so long of thinking, let alone to her!

"I… I… I don't know!" he finally blurted out. "I enjoy being with you, I want you to be happy always but… but I just don't know!" frustration overcame him as he completed his sentence hysterically.

So caught up in his frustration, he didn't realize the hands that were starting to snake around his waist. It was only when a hand sneaked its way onto his neck that he realized that he and Sakura were now in a rather… intimate embrace, with his hands on her shoulders and her arms around him. His blue eyes widened as Sakura's face came closer than what he felt comfortable with.

"If you don't know… then why don't we find out?" Sakura said in a low voice. The hand that she had on Naruto's neck started to caress the skin on the back of the blond's neck suggestively.

Naruto froze at the implication of those words. Sakura's face was moving closer and closer into view. He was paralyzed. He didn't know what to do. His brain had ceased to function as well, rendering him unable to decide on a course of action.

Sakura's eyes started to close as her lips came within three inches of Naruto's. He could feel her hot breath brushing across his dry lips. He was petrified. But when her lips brushed against his, he felt his eyes close as well, a single thought entering his mind.

"_This is alright… this is fine… If this can give me the answer… then I'll gladly do it… to find out…"_

And with that, he felt Sakura's lips close on his as he moved his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him.

**

* * *

**

Sasuke was shocked. As he watched the scene before him unfold, he felt a part of him starting to break from within. With each passing moment that he watched the couple below him share an intimate kiss, the wound in his heart deepened until he couldn't take it anymore. When Naruto still didn't show any sign of breaking away from the kiss, Sasuke whipped himself around and ran away from the place.

Lee's gaze was torn away from the couple when a blur crossed in front of him and sped off. Turning back to look one last time at the couple below, he closed his eyes in regret before following after the Uchiha.

Lee didn't take long to reach the other boy. Sasuke had gone all the way back to the entrance of the forest, but had stopped there.

Sasuke was standing still underneath the glow of the moonlight as one hand rested on the tree beside him. Lee marveled at the image of the beautiful boy in front of him. At the same time, he could also sense a powerful emotion being emitted from within the other boy. Lee came forward and stopped a few feet behind him.

"You love him, don't you?" the taijutsu expert asked suddenly.

There was no answer from the boy in front of him but Lee knew better than to expect an answer.

"It's not Sakura-san that you love… but Naruto-kun. Am I right, Sasuke-kun?" he asked again.

Still, no answer. But Lee didn't need it. His suspicions were confirmed. He could tell just from the emotions he could feel coming from the younger boy.

"So I am right then," Lee said to himself. He sighed sadly. "That makes us the two most miserable people in Konoha tonight…"

Slowly, Sasuke withdrew the hand he had on the tree and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

"No…," Sasuke said in a low voice. "Actually… that makes us the two most pathetic people here…"

Lee laughed bitterly. "I guess so…"

A silence was shared in between them. They valued each other's company because only they could understand each other's feelings now. Sasuke still had his back on Lee but Lee didn't mind. The Uchiha had his pride to protect, and he respected that. Although he could tell, even from this distance, that the raven-haired boy was hurting badly inside.

"You know… I promised that I'll always protect her…" Lee said softly, referring to the pink-haired kunoichi that he loved so much. "You're going to say I'm stupid, but I think that even after what happened today, that fact isn't going to change. I'll… always love her."

To his surprise, Sasuke let out a chuckle. "Heh. I can't say you're stupid… Cos' then I'll be admitting that I'm stupid myself…"

Lee's heart softened at his words. He had always known Sasuke had a good heart, and this was proven now. It looked like all the efforts he and his friends had put to save Sasuke from Orochimaru was worth it.

"You're a good person, Sasuke-kun," Lee said.

Sasuke turned his head slightly so that Lee could see one side of his face. The Uchiha's eyes were shielded by his dark bangs though, rendering Lee unable to properly see the expression on his face.

"I can say the same for you too," Sasuke replied. With that, he started to walk away. Lee watched him go. There was an unsteady movement in Sasuke's gait. Lee didn't blame him though. Both he and Sasuke had seen and been through a lot tonight, and they both needed their personal time and space to recover. But one thing was for sure. From what he had seen that night, Sasuke's feelings for Naruto was as strong, if not stronger, than his own feelings for Sakura. Lee was pleasantly surprised. It was truly a blessing to fall so deeply in love with someone, even though it hurts them…

With a wistful smile on his face, Lee silently made his way back towards his own home.

**

* * *

**

With every step Sasuke took, he felt his legs threaten to give way. He had his hands in his pocket, but only because he was trying to stop them from trembling. As he walked on, flashes of the scene he had just saw started to enter his vision.

Naruto and Sakura, in a tight embrace. Kissing.

It was all he could do to stop himself from jumping in between them and tearing them apart. It was the second time that night that he had felt like doing something like that, though he had refrained both times. He wasn't sure what Sakura and Naruto had said to each other. The only thing he managed to hear out of their conversation was when Naruto shouted.

-Flashback-

"_Don't you ever say that! I will never regret being with you!"_

-End Flashback-

That was all he heard and before he knew it, they were in each other's arms, kissing.

His heart twisted again with that thought. He was stupid. Why did he even think that he was needed there to help them in the first place? Obviously, his help wasn't needed. All night long he had inflicted self-torture on himself, watching the two of his closest friends go all lovey-dovey in each other's arms. Just what had he been thinking, following them like that? All he had managed to accomplish that night, was to break his already battered heart just a little more. He sighed to himself.

Naruto meant the world to him, and to see him so close to another was something his heart could not take just yet. All this while, he had planned and schemed to get Naruto with Sakura. He had convinced himself that if Naruto was happy, he would be happy. But that was not true at all… Seeing Naruto happily enjoying himself with Sakura caused a sense of loneliness to take over him. He felt left out, alone. It was something he had been used to last time, but ever since he had come to love Naruto, that feeling had dwindled and was filled by the blond's presence. But now, after seeing what he had just seen, the loneliness had returned and this time, it was increased tenfold.

He never really realized just how much Naruto had affected his life. He was truly a fool… For now, it seemed that his Naruto-Sakura plan had worked. They were getting along just fine. Which was exactly what he had wanted. So he should be happy about it. He was _supposed_ to be happy. Their relationship was apparently fine and he hadn't even needed to lift a finger to do anything that night. Everything had gone smoothly.

Yeah right. How could he be happy? How could he even _say_ he was happy when he felt as if he had lost something so important to him? It was a feeling reminiscent to when he lost his family. But somehow, it was more painful this time. Maybe because he had allowed himself to hope. Even from the start – before he had carried out his plan to get Naruto and Sakura together - he had known that deep down inside, he had secretly hoped, just a small glimmer of hope, that somehow Naruto would not accept Sakura and come to him instead. Ridiculous as it may sound, he had really secretly hoped for that miracle to happen deep within his heart. But that hope was now lost. The miracle that he had wished for never did come true…

He stopped walking. In the middle of the streets of Konoha, he looked at his surroundings, which were illuminated by the moonlight. His thoughts were a mess and he was suddenly overwhelmed by the intense emotions he felt within. Lifting his head, he looked straight up at the bright moon, the bangs which had been covering his eyes moved to the side as it finally revealed his face.

Dark, sad eyes stared straight at the moon. The expression on the Uchiha's face that could hold such determination and power, was now down-turned, filled with helplessness and emptiness. For once, Sasuke let the expression on his face betray all the emotions he had been hiding inside. The unhappiness, misery, loneliness… everything that he couldn't show to anyone… he bared it all in front of the night sky.

It was a moment of weakness, but it was something Uchiha Sasuke needed once in awhile.

**

* * *

**

With every moment that the kiss was prolonged, the feeling of unease grew tremendously. The only thing that had played in his mind from the moment the kiss had begun was 'this was wrong'. Soon, it came to a point that Naruto could not take it anymore.

With more force than was necessary, Naruto immediately pushed Sakura away from him. Sakura was taken aback when she was suddenly pushed away and almost lost her balance. In front of her, a very confused Naruto was standing. The blond had an expression of discomfort on his face.

Sakura's face fell. "You don't feel it, do you?" she asked.

A still confused and very uncomfortable Naruto turned red in the face. "F.. feel…?" he stammered.

Sakura put both her hands on her heart. "When we kissed, there was a warm feeling in my heart. It was beating hard and fast, and I felt all warm and fuzzy all over…" Sakura described. "But… you didn't feel the same way, did you…?"

Naruto bowed his head guiltily. He couldn't lie to her on this. He really had not felt anything. The only thing that had registered in his brain was unease and disgust. He felt like he was kissing a sister or something.

Sakura sighed softly before lifting her head in a smile. "It's alright then, Naruto," she said. "It's only our first kiss… and since you're all confused and all… it isn't fair to ask you to judge how you feel for me now…"

"Sakura-chan…" he muttered helplessly.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have forced you to answer that question so soon."

Naruto clenched his fists, angry at himself for being so helpless and unsure. He looked up at her determinedly before replying. "I promise I'll answer you… soon… Just give me more time…"

Sakura smiled. "Do you love me, Naruto?" she repeated once more.

Naruto tensed. "Err…"

Sakura laughed at the rigid boy in front of her. "I'm just kidding, Naruto. Take your time. Think about it, and when you're ready, come to me."

"…I will," he answered determinedly.

Sakura nodded at him. She shouldn't have forced him after all. In the end, he still couldn't give her the answer that she wanted. But she would wait in patience. She was willing to. Because she realized now, that she had really fallen for the blond boy.

Earlier that day, she had thought that Lee was everything she could ever want in a guy and had wished Naruto was more like him. But now she changed her mind. Naruto _was_ everything she could ever want in a guy. She liked him just the way he is.

"When the time comes, we'll go through this again," she said. "This doesn't mean that our current relationship is over, Naruto. It's more like… a break."

Naruto nodded. "I understand, Sakura-chan."

"Then it's settled for now."

A few moments passed in silence. Sakura was the one who broke it. "Ano, I guess I'll be going home now. No need for you to accompany me. I'll be fine on my own and… I think we need the space… to think for a bit…"

Naruto nodded. "Hai… it was fun tonight anyway, despite what happened in the end. I liked that restaurant. I'm glad we went there for a change," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit before they parted.

Sakura laughed. "I enjoyed myself too, Naruto."

The blond smiled. "Right… then… I'll be seeing you around. Oyasumi, Sakura-chan."

"Oyasumi, Naruto."

With that, Sakura walked away. The night's events were resolved for now. Well, sort of anyway. Although she did not get a proper answer in the end, she was at peace with herself. There was only one thing for her to do now and that was to wait. It was all she could do.

"_I'll wait for you, Naruto."_

It was her last thought before she prepared to walk home, disappearing into the darkness and leaving the blond behind to his own thoughts.

Back in the middle of the training grounds, Naruto took a seat beside the training post which had been erected there. Feeling tired, he leaned on the wooden material and sighed.

The confusion he had been feeling had increased tonight. He was nowhere near resolving his feelings, and he felt extremely exhausted.

The date had been enjoyable, except the ending part, and he had actually had a good time. However, that still didn't change the fact about his uneasiness and the feeling of wrongness that he had. Not only that, the kiss with Sakura, while it wasn't entirely unpleasant, Naruto couldn't say that he liked it either. Once again, like almost everything that related him to Sakura, it just felt… wrong.

He chuckled to himself. How could he even say that the kiss felt wrong? Did he even _know_ how a kiss was supposed to feel like? He had only been kissed twice in his entire life. It was funny that both of them had been with his teammates. Though if he must say so himself, he distinctly remembered that the kiss he shared with Sasuke had felt rather… nice.

Pausing awhile, he shook his head at this thought. He must really be tired if he was starting to think that kissing Sasuke felt better than kissing Sakura. Deciding to call it quits for the night, he got up. He would go home and get a good night's rest tonight. Then tomorrow, he would continue delving into his own feelings to find the answer to Sakura's question.

"_I'll know it one day, I just need the time."_

With that, he too made his way home as a feeling of wonder grew in him as the full realization that he had kissed Sakura that night sank into him.

**

* * *

**

It was quite late when Sakura finally reached the neighborhood where she lived in. The night's events had tired her out and she was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Having resolved her problems with Naruto in the forest, she was at peace and had decided that the only thing she could do, was to wait patiently. There was just no point in worrying about anything now.

As she neared her house, a fleeting thought entered her mind.

"_Well, at least Ino will be happy to know that I've finally had my first kiss," _she thought, a smile on her face.

When she approached her house, she noticed something amiss. That was when she noticed that the lights in her house had been turned on.

"_That's weird. I don't remember leaving any lights on… Okaasan and Otousan aren't supposed to be back until next week."_

Hurrying forwards, she ran to her house. When she was directly in front of the door, she cautiously turned the knob. There was no point checking the windows, the curtains had all been drawn, covering the inside of the house from view.

Pulling a kunai from one of the secret compartments in her dress, she yanked the door open. Her eyes widened.

"Okaasan! Otousan!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Okaeri nasai, dear" Sakura's mother greeted as she gathered her daughter in a hug at the doorway.

As Sakura hugged her mother in return, she turned to her father, who was smiling at her. Her mother shut the door behind her as she entered the house.

"You're back early," Sakura said. "I thought that you'll only be back next week."

"Well, there were some changes in the plans and we had to come back early to do the documents and to pack," Sakura's father replied.

As Sakura hugged her father, she did not reply immediately. She was so glad to see her parents again. She had missed them. Her mother had disappeared into the kitchen to make tea. It was only when she was seated on the couch that she spoke again.

"Pack? Are you going somewhere again? Where is it this time?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. This time to the Hidden Village of Sound," her father answered.

"And you said documents? What documents? Do we have another big customer purchasing?" she asked excitedly.

Her father laughed at her enthusiasm. "No, no. It's nothing like that. I'm actually talking about official documents in Konoha's main building."

"Official documents? Konoha's main building?" Sakura asked, her interest quirked.

Her father smiled at her as her mother came into the living room and put two cups of tea on the coffee table, earning a 'thanks' from both her husband and daughter.

"Hai," Sakura's father answered. "We have met with the Hokage-sama this morning. The meeting was longer than expected though. We only came home late in the evening. We didn't see you around then, so we thought that you were probably out with your friends somewhere."

Sakura blinked. "My training with Tsunade-same was cancelled this morning because of a meeting she had. Don't tell me, that the meeting she had was with you!" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Most probably," her father answered.

Sakura gawped. "I didn't know that…"

Her father laughed heartily at her as he sipped on his cup of tea.

"Then, what were you doing meeting with Tsunade-sama? Did something happen?" Sakura asked, suddenly feeling anxious.

"No, no. Don't worry. It's nothing bad."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sakura picked up her own cup of tea and took a sip from it, feeling the hot liquid warm her up as it trickled down her throat before she continued speaking. "Then what was it about?"

Slowly, Sakura's father put his steaming mug down. He smiled at her. "It's big news to you, Sakura. You won't believe it," he said.

"News?" Sakura asked suspiciously, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hai," her mother answered, joining in the conversation. "We're moving Sakura."

"Moving?"

Her father nodded. "Yes. We're moving a week from now. To the Hidden Village of Sound. And I mean permanently."

Sakura blinked once. Twice. Three times. That was when the reality of the whole situation fell on her like a ton of bricks. In horror, Sakura's cup of tea fell from her grip and crashed to the floor, smashing into a million pieces and spilling hot tea all over the floor.

To Be Continued

A/N – Okay, I know I'm really, really late. It has been like… three months? I'm really, really sorry! I had so much things to deal with! Exams and all! Then my router burned up and I wasn't able to access the Internet! Really! (shouts of disbelief and throwing of garbage commences) Please forgive me! I have my finals over the next three weeks, then after that, I should be updating more often. Really. (more shouts and a yell of 'lets behead her if she fails to keep her promise this time!') Gulp. You wouldn't do that would you? Cos' if you do, no one will update. Hehe. Hope you enjoyed the chapter by the way. I may have lost track cos' I stopped writing for so long. ;; Oh, and that bit about Sasuke delivering the book, it was my feeble attempt at humor. Failed miserably though. Oh well. And also, thanks to all that have reviewed for the last chapter! (minor changes have been done to that, by the way) I appreciate them! 100 reviews! (Resha-hime is happy!) Thank you all! As usual, review! You know, to ensure I update quicker. Hehe. Oh and by the way, if anyone's even interested, you can always go to my profile page. I normally post news on when my fic will be updated there. Okay? Until next chapter, bye bye and good day!


	10. Chapter 10

**Seeking True Love Version 2**

**COMPLETE EDIT 30 May 2006 1.40 p.m.**

A/N Thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far! I appreciate them very much! Sorry again for delaying my update. The lazy-bug bit me and it took time to recover. That and also I was sidetracked by Bleach. Hehe! But here is the next chapter now. Hope that you will enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : YAOI! If anyone is uncomfortable with that then don't read further! Spoilers abound! And perhaps some OOC-ness in this chapter.

Pairings : SasuNaru mainly.

Chapter 10

"_Otousan! How can you do this to me?"_

"_What is wrong with you, Sakura? It is an excellent opportunity! I'd have thought that you would be excited at the prospect of moving."_

"_But it's so… so… sudden! You can't just tell me we're leaving so soon and expect me to not be surprised! And why would we move anyway? We're perfectly happy in Konoha!"_

"_Sakura, now is the best time for us to move! Shinobi fights and battles are a constant occurrence in Otogakure recently. Business will be booming there! It is good for the sake of our family's future! It is a chance to expand our business!"_

"_But… but… I can't just leave like that! What about Konoha? What about my friends?"_

"_Konoha will not be handicapped without our presence here, I assure you! Hokage-sama has already approved our request to move. I don't want to hear anymore of it! We will leave as scheduled and that is final!"_

Flashes of the conversation she had with her father came to her as she lay immobile on her bed. It was late and the room was dark and quiet, but the girl whom occupied the room was not the least bit sleepy. On the contrary, she was wide awake.

Green eyes unseeing, stared straight at the ceiling, the moonlight that filtered into the room once again accompanying her. She just lay there motionless, as if the life had been drained out of her.

The news of moving had come as a shock. She didn't know what to think nor do about it. It was as if she was in a dream, she was unable to accept the fact. It was just too difficult to swallow. And because of that, she had practically fought with her father. And as if that wasn't bad enough, when her father had gone to take his bath, her mother had pulled her aside. The words that her mother had uttered then had been a lot worse compared to her father's words.

"_Sakura, you must not blame your father. Surely you understand his reasons to why we must move."_

"_I understand, okaasan. But… it's just so sudden… What am I going to tell everyone I know here? How can I leave them…?"_

_Her mother had paused then, seemingly reluctant to say the words which were obviously right at the tip of her tongue. Deciding to confide in her daughter, she told Sakura what was on her mind, allowing the axe to fall._

"_Your otousan and I… have heard news. We know about your relationship with that Kyuubi-boy in your team."_

"… _Sou ka? So you know…"_

"_Yes we do, and frankly, neither your father nor I want you to pursue this relationship."_

"_What! Okaasan, what are you saying?"_

"_You must understand. The consequences from you going out with that boy can bring is disastrous! What will the neighbours say? What will the villagers think? What will become of your future?"_

"_Okaasan! I can't believe this! You've never said anything against Naruto before, even when I was first assigned in the same team as him! Why start now?"_

"_It is not the same, Sakura!" her mother's voice was starting to get frantic now, as if Sakura's reaction was exactly what she had been afraid of. "I was not concerned when he became your teammate, that was alright as long as he minds his own business, but now, your getting together with him has involved you and our family. It will greatly affect how others see us, how they see you-"_

"_So leave them be! It doesn't matter what others think, it's what I want that matters!"_

"_I cannot allow you to see that boy again. It is for your own good!"_

"_Okaasan!"_

"_If you still have any respect for your mother's words, you will do as I say, Sakura! We will leave Konoha as planned a week from now."_

And that was when Sakura had stormed all the way up to her bedroom and locked herself in since then. She sighed in frustration. Who would have thought that both her parents would be so against her relationship with Naruto? They were determined to keep Sakura away from Naruto for what they thought was for their daughter's best interest. When they started being that way, nothing would be able to change their minds.

Rolling about in her bed, Sakura laid on her front as she gripped the sheets underneath her tightly.

"What am I going to do now?" she muttered softly, feeling as lost as she could ever have been. An image of Naruto and her promise to wait for him till he was ready lingered in her thoughts. Even when she was willing, fate was cruel to her. She wasn't even allowed a chance with the blond boy she had come to fall in love with.

Burying her face deeper in the covers, pink hair flowing across her face messily, she drowned herself in her own misery at the unfairness that life had in store for her.

**

* * *

**

The sounds of twittering birds could be heard as the morning rays shone across Konoha's grounds. The streets were becoming busy with life as the villagers once more went about their usual business as a new day began. Right at the center of the village where Konoha's main building stood, it was no different for the leader of Konohagakure as well.

"Tsunade-sama," called a female voice from behind the door to the Hokage's office.

Tsunade looked up from the stacks of paper which were piling atop her table, boredom and irritation written on her face. "What is it this time?" she snapped irritably.

The door opened as Shizune entered the office. "Uchiha Sasuke is here, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade tossed the document which she had been reading halfway across the table, eager for a distraction from the paperwork. She stretched her arms out languidly before replying.

"Ah, so the kid is here. Tell him to come in then."

Shizune bowed respectfully before she left the office to fulfill the Hokage's orders. Moments later, a dark-haired boy entered the room.

"Hokage-sama," he said bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement.

Tsunade looked at him, the smirk she usually had on her face was firmly in place. "Sasuke," she nodded in reply. "I'm sure that by now you know what this meeting is for?"

Sasuke grunted in affirmative. Before either of them could say anything else, Shizune knocked on the door before entering the office once again.

"Tsunade-sama, they're here."

This time, Tsunade got up from her seat. "Alright, let them in."

Shizune left the room once more. A few minutes later, she returned, bringing along with her two of the Elders of Konoha village. When the two elderly people - one man and one woman - were safely in the confines of the room, Shizune left them alone to give them privacy. When they were sure that they were not being overheard, the two older people approached Tsunade. Upon coming closer, the elder lady smiled at the female Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama, I'm glad to see things are working out fine under your command here in Konohagakure," the elder lady said. "This was to be expected from the First Hokage's granddaughter."

"Thank you, but that praise would be too flattering. I wouldn't know what to say to my grandfather if I did not carry out my duties as appropriate," Tsunade replied graciously. It was not in her nature to care about menial things such as respect for older people but in the case of the elders, she had to show manners considered proper to the people whom had offered the Hokage's chair to her in the first place.

"No, not at all too flattering. We thank you, Tsunade-sama. Thanks to your hard work, Konoha is peaceful once more, even after all the trouble that the traitor Orochimaru had caused," the elder lady said. As she said those words, she trailed off. Turning to look at the young boy whom had been silent since she had entered, the female elder smiled at him.

"Sasuke-kun, it's good to see that you are well."

Sasuke bowed his head respectfully. "Doumo, I am doing fine now under the supervision of Hatake Kakashi and Konoha's senior jounins."

"Sou, sou," the female elder nodded her head. "I gather that it was a good decision after all to have him and several other jounin watch over you these past few years. How long has it been now? Two years?"

"Two years and a month," Sasuke answered.

"Yes, yes," the elder nodded her head, falling into silence for a moment. "It is rather strange to think that, just a little more than two years ago, you were a part of Orochimaru's… army."

Sasuke had nothing to say to that, so he kept his silence. After all, _this_ was what this meeting was about anyway, a private meeting with the elders to monitor his behaviour. It was a result of his betrayal to Konoha.

Ever since he had been brought back from Orochimaru, the village elders had felt uncertain as to where Sasuke's loyalties truly lay anymore. However, very fortunately for him as well that he was the final breathing member of the infamous Uchiha family - not counting Itachi. The elders had not wanted such a prestigious family to die out just like that, nor did they want to lose one of the best shinobi clans in Konoha, thus, it was decided that Sasuke could remain in the village as a shinobi albeit punishments for all the wrong deeds he had done. Apart from getting lower ranking missions and being accompanied by jounins whenever he left the village for missions, Kakashi had been given the duty of heading Sasuke's supervision since he was previously in charge of Team Seven.

Moreover, the elders had also decided that it was essential that they personally meet him frequently to ensure that his behaviour had not strayed as promised. This resulted in Sasuke paying visits to the Hokage's office several times a month leading into the situation they were in now. Although most of the restrictions around Sasuke had been lifted as of late, the meetings still commenced as usual. It seemed that the elders still wanted to keep an eye on him, fearful that he may turn his back on Konoha again one day.

Personally, after awhile Sasuke had found these meetings a waste of time. After all, it wasn't like he did anything during the meetings. It was more like a poke and stare session between him and the elders as they asked him how and what he had been doing since the last meeting. Sasuke knew for a fact as well that Tsunade-sama found the meetings troublesome. But then, whenever these thoughts surfaced, he always reminded himself of the reason that these meetings were even held in the first place. It was his fault alone for betraying the village. After all, there was a saying that went 'once bitten, twice shy.' He couldn't blame the elders for not trusting him. It was a punishment befitting a foul traitor like himself. He should be thankful that the people in Konoha even accepted him anymore. And whenever he thought this way, he never resented the meetings with the elders, however useless they may seem to be.

"Well," Tsunade-sama broke the silence in the room and bringing Sasuke back down to Earth. "What's past is past. It's protecting Konoha and its peace now that's important. Don't you agree, elder?"

The female elder, whom had become quiet since her last sentence, gave a start. Collecting her posture, she smiled around the room. "Why, yes. Of course the peace Konoha is enjoying now is of utmost importance… In any case, the council is just… worried. We don't want an event like Orochimaru to ever happen again."

At this, she glanced furtively at the Uchiha. Sasuke understood perfectly. No doubt the elders thought that one day he may turn traitor just like Orochimaru. Well, can't blame them really, he reminded himself.

"Don't worry, elder. I have sworn never to betray Konoha ever again and I can assure you with my life that I will keep to that vow," Sasuke said determinedly.

To his surprise, the female elder smiled her most genuine smile since she had stepped into the office. "I am happy to hear that, Sasuke-kun. Truly, we are glad that you have taken that stand. It would be a pity to see the Uchiha line end after generations of glory. If anything, we would be happy to know that the last of the Uchiha's is part of the proud shinobis of Konohagakure."

"I will do my best," Sasuke said, bowing at the female elder. As he bowed, he caught sight of the other elder standing beside her. He had not said anything since stepping into the room.

"Don't worry, elder," Tsunade said, adding into the conversation. "We will make sure that Sasuke here is fulfilling his duties to Konoha. So far, his missions have all been completed without complications. And the jounins whom have been accompanying him on higher ranking missions have not lodged any complaints about him. His current record is clean and steady. Including the recent missions he has done at neighbouring villages."

"Oh, that's wonderful news to hear!" the female elder exclaimed. "If this keeps up, you will once more be accepted as a fully-fledged, recognized shinobi of Konoha Village in no time, with the approval of the Elder's Council that is."

"Thank you, elder," Sasuke said.

"Well then, since everything seems to be in order, I have nothing more to say…" the female elder said, glancing at the equally aging man beside her. The old man merely shrugged, not saying anything. The female elder then cleared her throat.

"Since everything is going smoothly, I see no reason to keep you here any longer. You may go now."

Sasuke blinked in surprise. The meeting had been short compared to those before. He was usually interrogated on his every move before being allowed to go home. This was a first. He bowed before taking his leave.

"_Whatever it is, it's a good sign if they're letting me off earlier. Perhaps… perhaps I have regained their trust...? Perhaps I have repented enough?"_ he thought hopefully. But then, a stubborn part of his mind argued at this. _"No… no matter what I do… it'll never be enough. Everything that I have done, the pain that I have caused… can never be forgiven. Never…"_

Sighing to himself, he pushed the thoughts to the back of his tired mind. His brain was already feeling extremely exhausted due to the events between Naruto and Sakura the night before, not to mention he had not been able to get much sleep. He was just too tired to think… for now.

As he walked out of Konoha's Main Building, he turned into the direction of the center of the town, distinctly remembering that he had an errand to run that morning.

Back inside the Hokage's office, when Sasuke had left the room, the female elder had turned to Tsunade.

"Is that boy really doing fine, Tsunade-sama?" she asked worriedly.

Tsunade smiled. "What I said earlier was the absolute truth, elder. He _has _been carrying out his missions dutifully. He has kept true to his vow so far, not a single toe out of the line."

"Well now, if that is true, then he has shown his sincerity to the village. He has proven that he has really repented his ways," the female elder said, a smile adorning her wrinkled features. "At this rate, the Elder's Council may consider accepting him once more as a recognized shinobi of Konoha. All restrictions may also be permanently lifted."

"That will be good news, elder. He would be happy to know that," Tsunade said. She smiled to herself, happy to hear the news.

Although she was the Godaime, she had compassion for her own men. Being personally involved with helping and supporting Naruto when he had been bent on saving Sasuke from Orochimaru, she had grown to care for Sasuke as well. She was one of the few who truly understood Sasuke and why it had been so important for him to gain power. Although his reason had been because of his revenge, Tsunade was willing to forgive. She knew that the young boy had nothing against the village. It was hatred for his own brother that drove him to Orochimaru. It was something that she could sense he regretted very much.

When Sasuke had been brought back to the village two years ago, she herself had been strict with him. She had agreed on all punishments that the Elder's Council had put on him. However, after two years, she felt that it was enough of a punishment. It was time for them to trust him again and allow him to prove his worth once more. She had believed the Uchiha when he had promised that he would never again go against Konoha, and it was time to give him his chance to prove it.

She knew that the Uchiha had suffered from his own doings these past two years. That air of guilt he still carried about him was unmistakable, and she took pity on the boy. She wanted him to get over it, and help cure the wounds in his heart that had been inflicted ever since he had been a young boy. The scars of his past were the reason Sasuke could not live a normal life, with his quest for revenge still hanging over his head. Now, if Sasuke could only regain trust from the Elder's Council, she believed that he will eventually be able to put his past behind him and learn to be happy again with the friends he has here in Konoha.

Happiness… it was the only way to save someone like Sasuke. With Itachi still on the loose, an avenger such as the young Uchiha could never truly be saved from the depths of darkness unless he has found the true meaning of living a happy life. If he could learn what happiness was like once more, maybe he could forgive himself, and forget. Forget not only the whole Sound ordeal, but also his quest for revenge and ultimately, his past. And that was why she tried hard for him, helped him whenever she could. For the sake of saving him. It was her duty as the Hokage to protect her own men, and she would do the best that she could.

"I shall speak to the Council then," the female elder said. "I'll let them know of these details and then we shall decide whether or not Uchiha Sasuke can be relinquished of all restrictions placed upon him."

"That is good to- "

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty," a voice broke in. Both Tsunade and the female elder turned to look at the owner of the voice.

"Elder, what do you mean by that?" Tsunade asked the male elder, surprised. The older man had not said a single word since entering the office but here he was now, staring straight at her with cold, wise eyes.

The elder man pursed his lips before he answered. "It is unwise for us to decide this based on what we have seen so far. It is still too early."

"Too early? Elder, it has been two years- " Tsunade began when she was abruptly cut off by the look on the male elder's face. It was a look of displeasure.

"While he may have spent two years repenting, he has spent _three_ years in the company of Konoha's enemy! I do not think that it is fair to say that we are being too harsh."

"But… elder. He has shown utmost regret for his actions. His record has been perfectly clean these past two years!" Tsunade protested. Her hopes of helping Sasuke were being dashed before her eyes and she'll be damned if she didn't try to do something about it.

"He has shown once that he cannot be trusted! How are we to judge whether or not everything he has done for the past two years were his honest actions or just a farce?"

"I don't think that it is a farce, elder," Tsunade was beginning to lose her temper. "There is nothing that he can gain from betraying Konoha! I thought it was already established that the last time he had associated himself with Orochimaru was because of the power Orochimaru had offered him. Surely, you understand, given Uchiha Sasuke's past, he has been seeking revenge from his brother, Itachi, a powerful member of the Akatsuki. His reasons were purely personal, wrong as his actions may have been. He bears no grudge against Konoha!"

"While that may be true, we still cannot have a shinobi who only thinks of himself!" the elder argued back. "If he is a Konoha shinobi, then he must learn to put the village's best interests first! If he cannot even do so, he is not deserving of the title of a Konoha shinobi! As Hokage, you are expected to know this better than anyone!"

Tsunade was at a loss for words. Completely taken aback, she turned her attention to the female elder, who had now turned silent. Tsunade decided to appeal to her instead.

"Elder! Surely, you agree with me…?"

The female elder looked up. Pausing awhile, she turned to Tsunade. "It cannot be denied that Sasuke's actions before this have been selfish and disregarding of Konoha's safety. And while he has been punished, his loyalties have yet to be proven. Perhaps it is right to say that we are making a decision too hastily…"

Tsunade looked at the two elders, frustration marring her features for a few moments before she carefully guarded her emotions. She couldn't believe her ears. Her efforts were going down the drain before her very own eyes and she could do nothing about it.

"However," the female elder suddenly spoke up. Tsunade looked up at the elderly woman. Perhaps there was still hope.

"Although Uchiha Sasuke's dedication to Konoha may still be unclear, we also cannot deny that he has shown extreme regret for his actions. His clean record has proven his regret and he is after all still a member of the Uchiha clan, who was once the police force of this village. Moreover, the Elder's Council had accepted his reasons for leaving the village before and it is agreed that he should be given a chance. We, as a part of the Elder's Council too, had agreed two years ago to accept him once more when he had been tried for his crimes. I think it is necessary that we allow him one more chance. What do you think?" the female elder turned her head to the older man, appealing to him.

The man remained silent for a few moments in contemplation. He seemed to be thinking the situation over thoroughly. Finally, he approached Tsunade, seemingly coming to a conclusion.

"Uchiha Sasuke remains the only member of the Uchiha clan who is still an acknowledged member of the Konoha Village. As he has proven himself well-behaved for the past two years, he shall be given a chance. But he should be monitored for a little while more. One month, I would say."

"One month?" Tsunade asked blankly, a bit taken aback at the odd condition.

The male elder nodded in affirmation. "One month. If Uchiha Sasuke maintains his clean record for that period of time, we shall report it to the Elder's Council and appeal that his name be permanently cleared and that all restrictions be lifted from him once and for all. He will once more be accepted as a proud shinobi of Konoha and we shall once again place our full trust upon him."

Tsunade blinked, surprised at this turn of events. Then a familiar smile broke across her face as realization dawned unto her. "Heh. Well now, that sounds fair enough," Tsunade said, her smirk in place.

The female elder smiled at her. "Tsunade-same, we understand that you care for that boy. However, you must remember that the village comes first. You must understand that all these restrictions and punishments are essential to re-educate him. You will only bring him more harm if you try to protect him from it."

"I understand. Don't worry, elder. I may care for him, but my reports on him are the absolute truth. I have hidden nothing from you. He _has_ been well-behaved this past two years," Tsunade replied.

"Then I hope that honesty will remain for another month," the male elder said again. "One more month to monitor him, and I ask of you not to tell him about this. Let him continue carrying out his duties as usual, and we shall continue watching him for this last month."

"Certainly, elder."

"Well then, this meeting is adjourned now," said the female elder. "We shall see you again when the need comes, Tsunade-sama."

And with that, the two elders left the room, where they were met by Shizune at the door, and were slowly guided out.

When she was alone in her office once more, Tsunade fell back on her chair, letting out a sigh of relief. Although things had looked bad for Sasuke just a while ago, now it seemed that things were taking a turn for the better.

"_One month, huh? Then I'll just make sure that brat keeps out of trouble for this last month. Hmph, he'd better appreciate my efforts once this is over."_

**

* * *

**

"Oi, Sasuke!"

Sasuke jumped as he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. Feeling very conscious of the item that he had just purchased from the bookstore behind him, he hurriedly stuffed the newly bought book into his shinobi pouch. Almost immediately after that, a blond boy appeared at the Uchiha's side.

"Hey! What's that you have there?" Naruto asked curiously. He had noticed the other boy hiding something in his pouch.

"Nothing of your interest, dobe," Sasuke answered coldly. Seeing Naruto now was the last thing he wanted to do. It was still too soon. The hurt he had felt was still too new.

Naruto eyed the bookstore behind Sasuke suspiciously, pretending not to have heard the 'dobe' comment. He noticed some rather… interesting looking books being displayed in front of the store. But before he could say anything else, the dark-haired boy was already walking away.

Sasuke quickened his footsteps, trying to get away from Naruto. He hadn't expected to meet Naruto alone so soon after what had happened last night, and he wasn't sure that he was prepared. The image of his two teammates sharing an intimate kiss was still fresh in his mind.

"Hey! Sasuke!" the voice called out to him once more. He ignored it, continuing at his quick pace.

Alas, he should have known better. Naruto didn't like to be ignored. In within seconds, the blond was right beside the Uchiha.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, bastard," he said, eyes narrowed.

"And I'm in a hurry," Sasuke lied, not halting his footsteps. But it seemed Naruto was determined to force his company on him as he kept up with the Uchiha's fast pace.

"Look, can't you just listen to me for awhile?" Naruto pressed on. His face had a serious expression on it. But Sasuke wasn't paying attention. He was determined to avoid Naruto, at least until he was more ready to face him… after everything that had happened.

Seeing that the Uchiha wasn't paying any heed to his words, Naruto grew impatient. He grabbed the taller boy's arm, forcing him to stop walking.

"What do you want, dobe!" Sasuke asked irately. He turned to glare at the blond, only to feel his heart stop - much to his chagrin - as he gazed into adamant blue eyes.

"I need to talk to you, Sasuke," he stated. And that was all it took for Sasuke to forget his resolve to avoid Naruto.

Five minutes later, Sasuke found himself sitting once more at Ichiraku's Ramen Stall. He cursed himself for giving into Naruto's pleas so easily. Hadn't he decided that he wanted to avoid Naruto for awhile? Staring at the blond happily downing his third bowl of ramen, Sasuke felt his heart soften. Naruto's joyful expression at having his favourite food in the world was obvious on his face. Sasuke felt his own spirits lift slightly seeing Naruto happy.

"_I suppose it's alright… I never can resist him anyway… And it's not like he knows that I saw what happened last night…"_ Sasuke thought absently.

"Are you going to eat that?" Naruto said suddenly, pointing at the practically untouched bowl of ramen in front of Sasuke. Sasuke sighed, pushing the bowl towards him.

"You can have it."

"Wai! Thanks Sasuke!" And Naruto proceeded to attack the bowl of ramen.

Sasuke stared solemnly at the blond as he ate. Somehow, no matter what happened, they always seemed to end up at Ichiraku's. Why was it that everytime Naruto needed to talk, he would pick _this_ place to talk? Well, that's what you get when you were with Naruto, he thought, answering his own question. Naruto's obsession for ramen never ceased to amaze the Uchiha.

On other days, Sasuke would only be too happy to be spending more time with the blond. But today, just being near him was uncomfortable. It… hurt. Because something had changed today. Naruto was no longer in his reach. Before, Naruto was his teammate, his rival, and they were as close as best friends could be. Now, Naruto was still his teammate, his rival, his best friend… but he was also Sakura's. Sakura's boyfriend. And just that small fact changed everything. The whole situation had never really sank into the Uchiha. Even when they had started going out, even when they made it official… he had not felt it so badly. But yesterday, what he saw had brought the reality of the whole situation come crashing down on him. And he realized now… Naruto would not and never be his. There never was a chance and there never will be. And that knowledge was enough to shatter the icy-cold heart of the young Uchiha.

Even though everything was different now, even though Sasuke knew that Naruto was out of his reach forever… when the blond had come to him today, he was still unable to resist him. Even though he had been hurt, he still loved the blond boy with all his heart. He was truly as pathetic as an Uchiha could never be.

Gazing miserably at the blond in front of him, he felt his mood drop several more notches. How he wished that he was anywhere else other than here in Naruto's company. He wanted to just avoid him, avoid everything. He was a fool. Just how many times had he called himself a fool lately? He hated being pathetic like this. It made him weak. Weakness was not something an Uchiha should have. Therefore, he must hide it, suppress it, for the sake of his family's pride.

"Sasuke, is something wrong?" Naruto asked, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts. Sasuke turned to look at the blond. He had not noticed that Naruto had finished eating. Upon meeting the blue eyes that belonged to the hyperactive blond, he saw worry shining in them.

"No. I'm fine."

Naruto looked skeptical. "Really? You don't look fine to me."

Sasuke frowned coldly. "I said I'm fine. What makes you think I'm not?"

"Well, for one, you don't look too well today," he replied. Pointing a finger at Sasuke's face, he continued, "You even have bags under your eyes. Have you been sleeping well lately?"

Sasuke was taken aback. He didn't think that Naruto would be so observant. Quickly, he turned his gaze away from the shorter boy. "I'm… fine. I've just been training hard lately, that's all."

"Really?" Naruto asked suspiciously. He didn't seem to buy Sasuke's story, but decided to leave it at that and stopped pressing further. "Well, whatever it is, don't overwork yourself too much. You might hurt yourself."

Sasuke snorted cruelly at this, resentment filling him. "And since when have you started worrying about me?"

"Of course I'd worry! You're my best friend, Sasuke. I don't want anything bad to happen to you," Naruto said indignantly at this, seemingly shocked that Sasuke doubted his concern for him.

Hearing these words, Sasuke stopped. Turning his head, he met the other boy's gaze and found himself drowning in the depths of Naruto's bright blue eyes, which shone with pure sincerity. Naruto had a serious look on his face, and an honest smile was pasted on his lips. Sasuke knew then that Naruto had meant what he had said. Immediately, a warm feeling entered his heart.

How could he be so stupid? He had been so obsessed in wallowing in his own self-pity that he had forgotten how much his friendship with Naruto had meant. They were best friends! So what if he could never be with Naruto in the way he wanted to? So what if Naruto will never know how he feels? He had Naruto's friendship… and that was all he needed.

After everything that Naruto had done for him, how could he have been so selfish? Naruto had proven himself a good friend during the whole Sound incident. He had saved Sasuke at the cost of his own life. He had forgiven him and accepted him back. And yet, this was the treatment that Sasuke gave him in return? He had attempted to avoid Naruto all because of his own stupid, selfish reasons. All because he was stupid enough to fall in love with the blond… He was always just thinking of himself. He was always so… selfish. A familiar feeling of guilt started to weigh down in his heart.

"I'm sorry… Naruto," Sasuke apologized suddenly.

Naruto frowned, confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm sorry for ignoring you this morning…"

"What? Ah, don't worry about it! There's nothing to apologize about! See, you're sitting here with me now, aren't you?" Naruto said.

"Yeah… but I _was _trying to avoid you. I'm sorry. After everything that you've done for me, I have no right to treat you that way…" his voice trailed off into a whisper.

Naruto really frowned at this now. He understood the deeper meaning behind Sasuke's words. Ever since coming back from Otogakure, the Uchiha seemed to be carrying a burden around. A burden called guilt. Naruto could sense it, even though Sasuke hid it well. He noticed the way that Sasuke treated him since then was different somewhat. It seemed to Naruto that Sasuke thought he _owed_ Naruto for bringing him back. This wasn't the first time, and there were times when Naruto had raised his concern about this and called Sasuke stupid for even caring about things like that. He had told the Uchiha to forget about it and that he didn't bring Sasuke back just so that Sasuke could feel indebted to him. But whether or not Sasuke had listened to Naruto's scoldings, Naruto didn't know.

In a serious voice, he replied. "Don't say things like that, Sasuke. Didn't I say this before? What happened back then is _past_. Don't dwell on it anymore. It brings nothing but painful memories. What we should really care about now, is our future."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that you would know how to say something so virtuous."

Naruto grinned, a slight blush on his face, making himself look cuter in Sasuke's perspective. "Eheh, it was something Ero-sennin used to say to me."

Ah. Of course. He always seemed to forget that Naruto was the hated boy in the village for having the Kyuubi in him. He had experienced a painful childhood himself due to this fact, not much different to Sasuke's own past. But Naruto had friends now. He was happy and had put the past behind him. This was something Sasuke envied about Naruto. Naruto was able to put his past behind him and live happily, but Sasuke couldn't… Sasuke couldn't put the guilt he felt for betraying his friends and village behind him… just like how he couldn't put his quest for revenge because of his past behind him…

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he scouted around for something to say in reply and felt a familiar biting remark slip itself past his lips. "Ah, no wonder. I was pretty shocked that a dobe like you could come up with something so clever. I didn't think that it was possible for someone with your level of wisdom."

"Hey!" Naruto cried out indignantly, a glare on his face.

Sasuke merely smirked at him. The smirk then slowly turned into a smile as he and Naruto made eye-contact. They fell into silence. Breaking the gaze, Sasuke stared ashamedly down at his hands which were folded atop the table in front of him. He had been selfish. Naruto had always cared for him. Always. Naruto was the one who had saved him, regardless of his own safety. Naruto never gave up on him, even when everyone else did. And now, because of his own feelings, he had tried to avoid Naruto. He had forgotten about his friendship with Naruto, forgotten Naruto's sacrifices for him. Naruto had always been there for him, and now, it was Sasuke's turn to do just that. Even if it hurt him to be close to the blond boy, he would always be by his side. Because that was what Naruto had done for him. He won't allow his feelings to get in the way of his difficultly-built friendship with his closest friend. He had once said that Naruto had become his closest friend, and that fact had not changed till now and it will remain that way for as long as he could help it. He won't be selfish again.

Slowly, Sasuke cleared his throat before speaking. "Ano… Naruto. In future, if there's anything you need to talk about, if you need any help at all… just let me know, okay? I won't ignore you next time, it was really wrong of me to ignore you this morning. I'll… always be here for you."

Sasuke flushed, embarrassed. It was not something he usually said, but this was something he had to say. Because Naruto - the closest person to him now - deserved it. It was Sasuke's turn to make sacrifices for Naruto, just as Naruto had sacrificed for him. It was an unspoken vow that they had pledged on each other ever since becoming best friends. That they would always be there for each other, and never let go of the close bond that had been formed between them. And this was a vow that Sasuke swore he will never break, ever again.

Hearing the words that the boy in front of him had just said, Naruto gaped openly at Sasuke. Never before had Sasuke uttered those kinds of words to him, and he was more than shocked to hear it coming from the cold Uchiha. Since when had Sasuke started acting so nice and warm towards him? Naruto couldn't believe his ears.

"Uh, are you really feeling okay today?" Naruto asked, his face an expression of disbelief.

"I told you already. I'm fine," Sasuke replied. Seeing Naruto's unbelieving expression, he felt the flush across his cheeks deepen. Naturally Naruto would be suspicious. It was the first time Sasuke had said such mushy things to anyone for as long as he could remember.

"Are you sure you're not someone else pretending to be Sasuke just to play a trick on me?" Naruto asked incredulously, half expecting Sasuke to transform into someone else. Shikamaru maybe. Nah, that lazy-ass wouldn't do something so troublesome, he thought, scratching his head.

Feeling mightily embarrassed and slightly irritated now, Sasuke replied as scathingly as he could. "Of course, if you start acting like an idiot again, I shall promptly ignore you, dobe."

Hearing this, Naruto's face lit up with a smile. "Now that sounds more like the Sasuke I know!" he laughed loudly, earning himself a glare from the Uchiha which silenced his laughter considerably.

Still chuckling softly, Naruto grinned at the dark-haired boy. "I'm just kidding, Sasuke. Of course I'll come to you if I have any problems. In fact, I've only just realized. It's what we've been doing for the past two years anyway, right?"

The quiet talks, the heartfelt conversations, the bond they shared. Of course. Ever since the Orochimaru incident, they had already established a close relationship with each other. Whenever either of them was troubled, they would always look for the other. It had been that way for the past two years. It had felt so natural to them that they had not really realized this significant part of their relationship until now.

Naruto smiled warmly. "Still, it was nice to hear you offering your support to me like that. Thanks, Sasuke…" Naruto said gratefully.

The smile Naruto had on his face now was causing Sasuke to become breathless. He was at a loss for words and could only stare back at the smiling blond in front of him, mesmerized by the magic in his smile…

"And I'll definitely annoy you as much as I can with my problems when I need to, so don't worry about it…" Naruto added, laughing as he said so.

At this, Sasuke broke out of his trance. Trying to cover up his embarrassment, all he could do in reply was to nod before turning away. After that, they fell into comfortable silence as they enjoyed each other's company.

"But seriously though, you have to stop thinking about what's past now. The whole… Sound thing… You know what I'm talking about, right?" Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke sighed. Why did Naruto insist on bringing this subject up?

"I know…" Sasuke replied quietly.

"I know what you're thinking about. You can't fool me anymore, Sasuke. Just… let it go. What's past is past."

"I said I know already. Don't tell me what to do, dobe."

"Hey, I'm just concerned!" Naruto replied heatedly.

"I know…" Sasuke said again.

Seeing the depressed look on the Uchiha's face, Naruto realized that he may have pushed the matter a little bit too far. Hurriedly, he tried to look around for something else to say.

"Hey, I know," he said suddenly. Sasuke looked up questioningly at him.

"Since we're best friends and all that now, let's make a pact. Since you've _officially_ said that I can come to you whenever I'm having problems, then that goes the same for you as well, alright? Meaning, I'm _officially_ declaring now that you can come to me whenever you have problems."

Sasuke blinked. "Erm, you don't really…" but he was abruptly cut off.

"Also, you have to promise me to get over those guilt trips of yours! I've told you, I didn't bring you back just so that you can wallow in guilt. If you have problems with that, just let me know! I'll kick your ass so bad that you won't be able to think too much about it anymore!"

"Naruto- "

"So, it's agreed then?" Naruto asked eagerly, not giving time for Sasuke to protest. "If you need anything, I'll be here. Likewise, if I need anything, you'll be there! We'll always watch out for each other. That's called teamwork, right? Though in this case, it's because we're best buds!"

Naruto was grinning from ear to ear now, happy with his own suggestion. Sasuke didn't know what to say, but then he decided that he didn't need to say anything. It was okay this way. After all, that's what friendship is about. To always watch each other's backs. Gone were the days when Sasuke and Naruto spent each day acting like they hated each other. They had grown up. Though they still spent much time arguing like kids, things were different. The whole Sound incident had taught them how to trust each other, and to treasure the people important to you. And they were glad that they were lucky enough to still have each other till this very day. Sasuke smiled softly. It was amazing how his emotions slipped so easily whenever he was around Naruto.

"Sure… I'll try to work out my… issues…," he said. When he noticed that the blond was still eyeing him expectantly, he added. "And I'll be sure to look for you, if I need your help. Happy?"

Naruto nodded. "Very. I'll give you time to work on your… guilt issues. But remember, if anything…"

"You'll be there… I know, usuratonkachi. Don't forget, I'm the one with the better brains here, remember?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

Though Sasuke's taunts didn't really bother him anymore, it could still annoy him slightly sometimes. Just slightly though. He had gotten so used to it that he had stopped taking real offense from it. Well, at least he got what he aimed for. He had been worried for Sasuke ever since he realized that Sasuke still carried guilt from the Sound incident. Since becoming close friends with Sasuke, he had learnt to worry for the boy and did all he could to help him. By sealing the pact with Sasuke, the least he could do was to assure the Uchiha that he would always be there for him. And that was exactly the kind of support that Sasuke needed to recover from the wounds of his past. Naruto knew it better than anyone because he knew Sasuke best, and also, because he was a victim of his past too…

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the sounds of soft chuckling coming from the Uchiha.

"You really are a dobe," Sasuke said, laughing a bit at Naruto's usual reaction, the expression on his face akin to fondness, a smile gracing his lips. Not the smirk he always had, but a true smile.

And Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, he felt all the blood rushing to his face as Sasuke smiled at him. How come he never noticed how _good_ Sasuke looked? That flawless skin, his soft lips upturned at the sides as he smiled, the dark eyes that could hold so much menace, his deep, _sexy_ voice as he spoke and laughed…

Hold it! Wait a minute… _sexy_!

What was he thinking? How could he even think that Sasuke was _sexy_? Turning away, Naruto concentrated on regaining control of himself. It wouldn't do to start _blushing_ in front of Sasuke now, would it? Really, he was probably just… overwhelmed for awhile. All this mushy talk had made him soft and girly-like. Yeah, that was it.

"_Well, at least his laughing means his mood is better now…"_

More to distract himself than anything else, Naruto grabbed his earlier forgotten and unfinished cup of green tea which sat in front of him and raised it.

"Here! Let's… drink to our pact. You know, like how people usually do it at ceremonies and stuff like that…" Naruto said, stumbling about for the proper words.

Sasuke nodded, not noticing anything amiss, and raised his own cup of green tea. "Okay," he said. "Normally, people would use sake but I guess this is fine. With this, our pact is sealed and the both of us are… forever bound to it."

And with that, they drank their tea.

As he drank, Naruto took this time to calm down and was glad when he felt his heartbeat return to normal. Really, what happened just now was just a spur of the moment thing. It didn't mean anything… didn't mean anything at all…

"Anyway, now that we're done with our… pact, may I ask why exactly did you call me out today?" Sasuke's voice broke into his thoughts once more. "We've talked a lot but you haven't really said what you _really_ wanted to talk about yet. You couldn't possibly have just wanted me to accompany you for ramen, could you?"

Immediately forgetting the weird feeling that had rose in him earlier, Naruto turned back to face the Uchiha excitedly, suddenly remembering what he had wanted to say to the taller teen in the first place.

"That's right! I totally forgot about it!" he exclaimed, slapping his hand on his forehead. "Actually, I was going to talk to you about Sakura-chan!"

Naruto wasn't sure, but he felt Sasuke's smile become strained when he mentioned Sakura.

"Oh… I see. What about her?" Sasuke asked, his dark eyes not revealing any emotion.

"Well… we sort of got into a fight yesterday."

"Humph. Thought so. It was about Lee, wasn't it?" Sasuke asked, pretending not to know. After all, Naruto didn't know that Sasuke had spent most of yesterday stalking him.

"Well, sort of… She was kind of mad cos' I didn't stop Lee from… well, you know…"

"I told you. You should have done something about Lee that night."

"Hey, I know it's my fault already! No need to go rubbing it in my face!" Naruto pouted. "Anyway, that wasn't really the only reason…"

"It wasn't?" Sasuke blinked. This was new information to him. As far as he knew, Sakura was really only mad at Naruto because of Lee. Maybe… could it be that they had other problems? He felt his heartbeat increase even more.

"Yeah, we had some other problems… I was… sort of unsure… about our relationship," Naruto said hesitantly.

Sasuke's heart was pumping so fast now that he had problems forming words to say. Gulping, he asked tentatively. "Unsure?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah… I don't know. I care about her a lot… but sometimes, it just doesn't feel… right… You know what I'm saying?"

Sasuke was confused. No, not really. He didn't get what Naruto was saying. He didn't really have much experience in the love department so it wasn't surprising anyway. There were some things which you could only get through experience and no amount of hard work or 'genius-ness' would help in this case.

Naruto laughed. "Heh, I'm not making sense, am I? Well, it's complicated. But one thing's for sure, and that is I do care about her a lot. So, whatever it is, I don't want to lose her unnecessarily just because I'm being stupid."

Sasuke just nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say. His own pounding heart was keeping him from talking. Somehow, when Naruto had said that he was 'unsure' of his relationship with Sakura, a small glimmer of hope had bloomed in his chest unwillingly.

Naruto continued speaking. "I'm really lucky though. Sakura-chan… has really grown to care about me too. She… she really does love me. She said she'd wait for me. I promised her that I would think things thoroughly, and let her know how I really feel… And that's exactly what I'll do…"

The blue-eyed boy smiled fondly as he stared blankly into the space in front of him. "Sakura-chan really is a nice girl. I'll be damned if I lose this chance with her… but, I guess I still do need to think about it. After all, it would be a terrible mistake to make a wrong choice. It would just hurt us both."

Sasuke nodded again. A part of him was listening to Naruto, while another part of him was trying to stamp out the hope that was growing in his heart. He didn't want to hope now and be disappointed later. From the looks of things, Naruto is likely to choose to be with Sakura, he tried to convince himself. He had better stop hoping now if he didn't want to get hurt later.

Naruto turned to Sasuke, smiling. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to tell you. I guess I just needed to let this out on someone," he trailed off. Placing a hand on his heart, he allowed his eyelids to close. "Sometimes, the pressure here just becomes too much…"

Sasuke could only stare at the blond. He had lost all ability to speak coherently. Struggling, he managed to open his mouth and force the words out.

"Daijoubu, Naruto," he said, finally pulling himself together. "Didn't I just say? If there's anything you need, you could always come to me."

Naruto opened his eyes and gazed at the taller boy in front of him. "That's right… I'm glad I can talk to you," he said. Suddenly, his face split into a cheerful grin. "Maa, I'm just glad for what I have now. I'll take the time I'm given and use it well. Whatever happens, I appreciate all that I have and I'm happy."

"Glad to know that," Sasuke said, his smirk in place as he was finally able to gather his wits.

"You too should cheer up! You're always moping around! Get on with life already and forget the past! You know what? I think what you need is a girlfriend!" Naruto said excitedly, all of a sudden.

"Whatever, dobe. Don't poke your head in my personal life."

"Hey, I'm your best bud! Don't I have a right to know?"

"In this case, NO."

"Humph. Meanie," Naruto grumbled. Nevertheless, he didn't press on. Naruto was happy enough the way things were and didn't want to get the Uchiha mad at him. Whatever it was, he had his own problems to take care of. He would take things one step at a time now just like Sakura-chan and Iruka-sensei had suggested. Take his time, and see what happens next. That's what he had in store for him now, and he would patiently walk down that path.

Sasuke sighed. Girlfriend, huh? If only Naruto could know what he really felt… There never will be a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, for Uchiha Sasuke as long as the one Uzumaki Naruto remained in his heart. And as far as Sasuke's feelings for the blond boy went, Sasuke knew that it would be for all eternity.

Sighing, he let his muddled and tired brain mull about, distinctly remembering that they still had training with Kakashi-sensei later. The hope that had blossomed in his chest earlier still hadn't faded and he was still attempting to stamp it out, though without success.

Sighing again, he cursed at his heart for being so weak, for jumping at any hope that he still had a chance with the blond boy. What Naruto had said just now about him being unsure of his feelings for Sakura had really shook his resolve. In any case, he would have to keep on trying to stamp out that stubborn bit of his heart that still held on to that hope and while that, he would witness what happens next. In between Naruto and Sakura, and himself standing hidden at the corner, he would see what would become of this love triangle. All he needed was time.

They didn't know it yet, but time was the very thing that they were lacking right now, for one of them was going to be taken away from Team 7 as they knew it.

**

* * *

**

"Ah, you're here Sakura," Tsunade said, setting down the documents she had been holding on the table.

The pink-haired kunoichi whom had just entered the Hokage's office bowed at the female Hokage respectfully.

"You called to see me, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I did," Tsunade said, standing up. "So, how do you feel about moving to Otogakure?"

Sakura did not answer immediately. "U.. uh… okay, I guess…"

Tsunade looked carefully at the expression on her student's face, and easily saw through her lie. "You don't look happy about it."

Sakura bowed her head lowly, knowing that her false pretense had already been found out before saying in an almost inaudible whisper, "Of course I'm not…"

Tsunade let out a weary sigh. "I thought so…"

Sakura didn't reply.

"I've heard things… about you and Naruto…" Tsunade began slowly, unsure of how she was going to go about this. She put her hands on the table and hunched forward slightly. "Listen Sakura, just because you don't live in the same village anymore… it doesn't mean that your… relationship has to change."

Sakura shook her head, her frustration becoming evident. "No, it _will_ change. Things… things are already becoming difficult even when I'm still here, and it'll only get worse if I leave… and my parents aren't supportive of… of us…"

"That is only natural behaviour from them as parents. After all, no parent would want their child to be associated with the Kyuubi, right?"

"But I don't care! It doesn't matter what other people think. As long as I'm happy, it doesn't matter!" Sakura said angrily, her voice rising in volume.

"But it's difficult to make your parents see that now, isn't it? You can't blame them, they care about their only daughter."

Sakura's expression turned grim. Much as she hated to admit it, Tsunade-sama was right. Her parents only wanted the best for her, but that didn't mean she agreed with them. She felt ashamed at losing her temper like that in front of the Hokage herself and bowed her head shamefully, focusing her eyes on the wooden floor.

It felt weird to be discussing this with Tsunade-sama, but then again, after years of apprenticeship, Tsunade-sama knew her well and she didn't feel uncomfortable at all discussing her personal matters with the older woman. Right now, she was still apprehensive about her parents' reactions to her relationship with Naruto, and she was feeling a little more than anger. The shock of her moving so soon had still not worn off either. Spending the whole night moping had not provided her with any solutions. She just couldn't see any way out of this nor did she know what to do yet.

"I understand your situation now, but… there really isn't any choice," Tsunade went on. "It isn't possible for you to stay here while your parents move to Otogakure without you running the risk of being disowned for going against their wishes."

"I know…"

Tsunade stared at the miserable expression on her student's face. Sighing, she went on.

"I'm not really in any position here to tell you what to do… but the reason I called you here today is to let you know of some good news. Your training with me is now over."

Sakura blinked. Snapping her head back up from the floor, she stared wide-eyed at her sensei. "What?"

"You heard me right," Tsunade said, grinning. "Your training is over. There's nothing more that you can learn from me. The rest is up to you."

Shocked, Sakura stared at the Hokage, her jaw dropping wide open, her misery temporarily forgotten at this new development. "But… but… what… when…?"

Tsunade smirked at her student's reaction. "I see you're shocked at this news, but it's the truth. You're ready to go out on your own now. I've thought you everything I know and the rest is really up to you. Sufficient to say, I thought that it would do you good to move to Otogakure. As you know, the Sound is constantly terrorized by battles and fights. As a medic-nin, I think it would be good experience for you to practice your knowledge there. In fact, your skills are needed there now more than ever. It is beneficial for both you and the people of the Sound."

Sakura turned silent, fixing her jaw back in place as she was reminded of her problems. "So… even you are saying I should go…"

Tsunade shook her head. "That's not what I mean. As your teacher and Hokage, I think that it is an excellent chance for you to improve your skills if you go to Otogakure. But as someone who has watched you grow these past few years, I understand how you're feeling now… but still, there's no way I can help you in this…"

Sakura stared miserably once more at the floor beneath her feet. She knew there was no way Hokage-sama could help her. It was a family thing after all, even the Hokage didn't have the power to stop her parents from moving without being unfair. She didn't know what to do. She really didn't want to go, but what _could_ she do? How could she go against her own parents?

But still another part of her wondered. What about Naruto? What about Sasuke-kun? And Ino. And all her other friends as well. She had so many memories here, it was just so difficult to let go. And Naruto… with her problems with Naruto left hanging like that, how could she leave? And yet, she didn't see any way for her to stay…

As Tsunade-sama had said, it was probably more beneficial for her to move to Otogakure. Not only for her own skills and experience, but also for her family's business. Her family ran a business of medical herbs sales, and as her father had said, during this time of havoc at Otogakure, business will be booming. It seemed like everything pointed to her going to Otogakure, and to leave all she had now behind…

"Sakura…"

Sakura looked up in surprise. She had been so lost in her thoughts, she had not noticed that Tsunade-sama had gotten up and was standing right in front of her. Disconcerted, she was going to step back when suddenly strong arms encircled her and before she knew it, she was being embraced by Tsunade.

"I know what you're feeling, Sakura," Tsunade said, hugging her student closely. "And I'm sorry that I can't help you. All I can offer you… is my support."

"Tsunade-sama…"

Slowly, Tsunade let go of her student and smiled. "Being your teacher for all these years means that you've grown on me, you know. I'll be sad to see you go too."

Hearing those tender words, the last of Sakura's shields were broken, and she felt tears starting to blur her vision. Hastily trying to wipe them away, she spoke in a choked voice. "Th.. thank you… Tsunade-sama… You've been a great teacher too…"

Tsunade laughed heartily. "That's good to hear. Maa, whatever it is, we'll be keeping in touch. Since Otogakure is in such a mess, and since you _are_ still a shinobi, you will be recognized as a shinobi from Konohagakure as long as the Sound still doesn't have a proper rule over it. Although I won't be giving you missions anymore."

Sakura laughed too, although the tears still poured uncontrollably from her eyes. "Hai, Tsunade-sama…"

"And don't forget, you can always come visit us…"

"Hai…" Sakura said, sniffing. Slowly, in her mind, a decision slowly pieced itself together. "I… I… don't know what I want to do yet right now. But there's one thing I know. I need to hear my answer first…"

"Answer?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, an answer. When I've heard it… I will decide… what I want to do…"

Tsunade smiled encouragingly at her. "Although I can't understand it, I hope for the best for you, Sakura."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," she said, smiling gratefully through her tears. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "Er, Tsunade-sama? May I make one final request?"

Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "Hmm? What is it?"

"Please don't tell anybody about my leaving. I don't want anybody to know…"

Tsunade was silent. Then she nodded. "Alright. The only people who know of this now are you, your family, some of the jounins dealing with this case, and me. Other than that, no one knows and on your request, I shall keep this news from spreading."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"It's the last thing I can do for one of my best students…" the Hokage said smiling as she petted Sakura's head. "You're going to be in a new land where I can't watch out for you anymore."

Sakura smiled fondly in reply. "I'll do my best. Thank you for everything that you've given me up until now."

Tsunade smiled at her then, a motherly smile that rarely graced her lips as the concern she felt for her student shone brightly from her. Years of training did bring two people closer together in a relationship. There were many types of relationships : between family, couples, friends, enemies , rivals and in this case, between teacher and student. It was a bond that formed over time and once formed, it was not something that was easily broken. And that was the type of bond Sakura and Tsunade shared now after years of being in that kind of relationship.

Seeing the smile on the lips of the teacher that she had for the past few years, the person who had given her advice and support through thick and thin, even during the time when Sasuke had left for Orochimaru and she had been left depressed; the person who forced her to get back on her feet and never give up. As she saw through her eyes the person she respected as a teacher, a Hokage and also a second mother; as she saw all this… she was overwhelmed once more. As the feelings of gratitude and sadness of her possible impending departure from all the people she cared about in Konoha, Sakura let the tears she had been holding in fall freely, proving to the Hokage of the Country of Fire that even though a person may possess immeasurable physical strength, they are still vulnerable when it came to matters of the heart.

**

* * *

**

Sakura walked slowly through the streets of Konoha on her way for training that day. She was already late, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy town, she seemed to be lost in her own little world. Everything around her seemed to be a blur. A lot of things were going on in her mind.

The earlier discussion with Tsunade had at least done her one good thing. She had finally decided on a course of action. Before she made her decision on what to do with the whole situation, she wanted to hear Naruto's answer.

"_Do you love me, Naruto?"_

It was a question that she definitely wanted to be answered before anything else happens. She would be moving a week from now, and a week she will wait to get Naruto's answer. She had promised Naruto that she would give him all the time he needed, but that was not possible now. She needed to know now, and they were running out of time. But she would give him this one week to decide how he felt about her. If his answer was a yes, then she would consider staying in Konoha. She didn't care if her parents thought that she was not being a filial daughter. She loved her parents, but it didn't necessarily mean that she had to leave with them to the Sound. She could stay here, and maybe visit them frequently in the Sound. She was a shinobi, traveling wasn't a problem for her. And it wasn't as if her parents were always home anyway. What did it matter if she chose to stay here instead? But then, if Naruto's answer was a no…

"Then I'll gladly leave Konoha once and for all…" Sakura said aloud. She didn't hope that it will come to that though.

She also hadn't wanted anyone to know of her moving. Why? It was simple. Because she did not want Naruto's answer to be affected by this fact. She loved Naruto a lot, and wished to be by his side always, but she also didn't want him to produce an answer that did not reflect what his heart truly wanted. She wanted the truth. She needed to know what he honestly felt for her. And to get that truth, she could not let him know that she was moving. And to avoid him from finding out, it was best that everyone didn't know either. It was the safest way to keep the news from spreading. Besides, she didn't think she could deal with it if everyone started asking her questions about her moving or even worse, she didn't think she could deal with how all her friends would react to the news when they heard it… And that was why she had made such an odd request to Tsunade-sama.

Breaking out from her thoughts, she quickened her pace as she entered the forest and hurried off towards their usual training grounds. Having come to a decision, she had nothing else to do but to wait… for the answer she needed.

Within minutes, she reached the opening of their usual training grounds and noticed the figures of three of the members of Team 7 awaiting her arrival.

"Sakura-chan, you're late today!" Naruto yelled loudly as the kunoichi showed up at the training spot in the middle of the forest. "See? The sun's up so high already and even Kakashi-sensei is here!"

"Maa, maa, Sakura. You're the one late today," Kakashi-sensei said, his exposed eye gazing knowingly at her.

Pulling herself together, Sakura worked her face into a bright smile. "Ah, I'm sorry. I had some business with Tsunade-sama to attend to."

"Ah, that's okay, Sakura-chan. We didn't wait that long anyway," Naruto said as Sakura stopped right beside him. He smiled at her warmly. For some reason, whatever had happened the night before didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, he felt much better about himself than he had for the past few days. Sakura had given him the space and time he needed, and he was grateful for the chance that he needed badly to clear his mind.

Sakura smiled back at him before turning to both Sasuke and Kakashi. "I'm sorry for making all of you wait."

"Don't be. Well then, shall we begin today's training?" Kakashi asked.

Before anyone could do anything else, Naruto was already running excitedly towards the three wooden posts erected in the middle of the grounds. The three remaining members of Team 7 stared after him, amused but not at all surprised at this behaviour.

Sakura heard Sasuke utter an 'usuratonkachi' before following after the blond. Sakura smiled. Naruto was always enthusiastic to train, or as he calls it, 'preparation for becoming Hokage.'

Just as she was about to follow in Sasuke and Naruto's footsteps, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she came face-to-face with her silver-haired sensei.

"Sakura… You haven't told them, have you?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly at this, her smile slipping a little. "Oh, so you know already…"

Kakashi nodded. "Well, aren't you going to tell them?" he asked, nodding his head towards the two boys further ahead of them.

Sakura shook her head. "No… I don't want them to know…"

Kakashi frowned at this, not quite understanding why she wouldn't want them to know. He knew of her relationship with Naruto, and he thought that it would be best that she told him at least…

"They would want to know this, Sakura," he said, a serious look replacing his frown. "Especially Naruto."

"I… I know…" she trailed off, uncertain. Then, with renewed determination, she turned to face the jounin. "But please, Kakashi-sensei. Please keep this a secret. Not only from Naruto… Sasuke-kun too, and everyone else…"

Kakashi's frown returned. "You're planning to leave without telling anybody?"

"Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing?" Naruto's voice broke through their discussion.

Sakura turned to his direction beside the training posts and saw that both Naruto and Sasuke were looking at them with interest. Well, at least Sasuke was. Naruto just looked impatient.

"We're coming, Naruto!" she shouted back. "Just give us a moment!"

Turning back to Kakashi, the jounin saw the unwavering determination on her face. "Please, Kakashi-sensei. Promise me that you'll keep this a secret from them?"

Kakashi stared at her expression for awhile before finally sighing in defeat. Though he didn't understand, he didn't have a right to butt into her affairs. "I guess I can't say no. After all, this isn't really my business anyway."

Upon hearing this, Sakura smiled. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei…"

"Sakura-chan! Hurry up!"

"Hai, hai! I'm coming, Naruto!"

Sighing once more, Kakashi moved to follow Sakura as they made their way towards the two boys. He decided that his students had the most complicated minds in Konoha. He never really could understand what they were thinking. Right now, Sakura's request that he kept the news of her moving secret seemed odd to him. But then again, he supposed that she had her reasons. Shaking his head, he joined his students who were preparing for their training.

As he sat at the side like he always did, he watched as Naruto and Sakura began their usual training. Feeling bored, he whipped out an old copy of a book from the Icha Icha series. Flipping through the pages, he realized that he must have read this book more than a dozen times already. As the feeling of boredom crept up on him again, he noticed a certain dark-haired boy standing beside him.

"Ah, Sasuke. Haven't you begun with training yet?" he asked. The younger boy had an unreadable expression on his face.

"What were you and Sakura talking about just now?" the Uchiha asked.

Kakashi blinked. "Oh? Nothing much. I just wanted to know what kept her with Hokage-sama. You know, if there's anything wrong… that's all."

"Oh," Sasuke replied, though he didn't look fully convinced.

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked him curiously. To his surprise, a flush rose into the Uchiha's cheeks.

"Iie… n..nothing! I…er… just thought…um… never mind," he stuttered out.

Kakashi blinked. He swore he heard the Uchiha mumble something about 'Naruto' and 'relationship' or some other stuff like that.

"Um, just forget it," Sasuke said, recovering himself.

Kakashi nodded in reply, not even bothering to ask what had brought on such an odd behaviour. He had thought Sakura was weird today but now, even Sasuke was acting out of character! He seriously thought now that the idea of him having the most complicated students, were right after all.

Just as Sasuke was about to walk away embarrassedly, he stopped. Turning once more to Kakashi, the jounin saw the teen reach his hand into his shinobi pouch.

"Oh, I almost forgot this," he said as he found whatever he was looking for and tossed it at the silver-haired jounin.

Catching it, Kakashi looked at the item that he was holding in his hands and his eyes almost bulged out. It was a book. And not just any book, it was the latest installment of the Icha Icha series.

"This… this is! Where did you get this?" he asked, obviously surprised.

Sasuke's blush returned and he started to stammer again. "I bumped into an old man yesterday. He said he wanted to deliver this to you… Something about a pre-order… I… was supposed to give it to you yesterday… but, err… I forgot… and then… it got lost… and… I had to… uh… replace it myself, and… anyway, that's yours," he finished in a rush.

Kakashi blinked again. He didn't know whether he should be amused or shocked at this. However, before he could think of anything else to say, Sasuke was already making his way towards Naruto and Sakura to train. Undoubtedly, he was trying to avoid embarrassing himself further.

Kakashi shrugged. It was confirmed now. He really did have the most complicated albeit _weird_ students in Konoha. But then again, he was called a weirdo himself. So he supposed it was okay. After all, didn't they say that birds of a feather, flock together?

Shaking his head, Kakashi decided not to think too much. Even though he found it odd that Sakura had asked him to keep the news of her moving away a secret, he had sworn to keep the secret and thus, it _will_ remain a secret. It didn't matter what his students did now, they were old enough to think for themselves. And it is only through experience that they will grow up and mature.

Deciding to let them do whatever they wanted for the time being, Kakashi flipped open the first page of his new book. Whatever it is, he decided that he would just keep an eye on his students for now, as he always did. Meanwhile, he would enjoy his Icha Icha book as much as he could while he had the time. At least he wouldn't be bored now.

To Be Continued

A/N I didn't give the elders a name cos' I don't know their names. Hehe. I hope this isn't confusing for everyone. I've been switching POV's back and forth but I hope its clear enough. More to come in the next chapter and don't forget to review please!

Snatches of conversation from the next chapter

"_Here you go. It's the latest map that Konoha has plotted out of all the countries. You may find it useful when you move."_

"_But that's weird. Genma-san, where are the chasms near the Hidden Village of Mist?"_

"_What are you talking about, Sakura? There aren't any chasms near the Mist."_

"_But that can't be! I almost fell into one during the last mission there!"_

"_Well then you must be mistaken. This map has everything down to the last rabbit hole. There is no way that it could be wrong."_

A/N Well, make sure to stay tuned to the next chapter!


	11. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hello. It's been awhile. I am sorry for the delay it's taking to update this story. Things happened and I got distracted from this story. Still, no excuses on my part so I'm taking this chance to make an apology for the long wait. I've been using the past half a year to revamp the whole STL series which has been uploaded before now. Meaning, there are major changes in several past chapters. It's probably a good idea to reread it as there are certain major changes in the storyline, but the basic plot is still unchanged so no worries if you choose not to reread. The reason for the whole re-editing of the story is because there are several points in the story which clash from one chapter to another, due to mistakes on my part. But now, after re-editing, STL is a whole lot better in my opinion so do give it one more try if you have the time. All in all, I'm really sorry for the long wait. But now that I'm back, I hope the next update won't take as long. The new chapter is already in the works so please, bear with me for a little while longer. I've said before that I would never discontinue this fic and I'm not going to go back on my word. Thanks to everyone who's still with me even until now. So now, I'm announcing the launch of STL version 2. Hopefully, it's even better than before. If there STILL are mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me.Please enjoy.

Yours Truly,

Resha Hime

Extra Note : This author's note will be replaced with Chapter 11 when it is ready. And also, I'm in need of a beta-reader for this fic. Someone to stop me from making severe mistakes in the coming chapters, and also someone to force me to work on the fic when I get too lazy (hehe). Do get back to me if anyone's interested. Thank you!


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